


Shape Of Love

by natsa



Category: Black Clover - Tabata Yuki (Anime & Manga)
Genre: All the Black Bulls ship them, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Asta is an idiot, Asta will get there too though, But i change things, Canon Compliant, M/M, No Spoilers, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates, Yuno is whipped, figuring out feelings, supportive friends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-12
Updated: 2020-05-13
Packaged: 2020-06-26 21:46:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 26,156
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19777063
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/natsa/pseuds/natsa
Summary: Soul marks manifest along with a person’s magic, so it’s no wonder Asta didn’t have one. That was fine. He still had hope. He was sure that it would show up, that it would appear along with his grimoire and he would finally get the magic he so desperately worked for.But if there’s one thing an idiot like Asta knows for sure, it’s that fate never made anything easy for him.Why would it start now?





	1. That Damn Smile

**Author's Note:**

> Hello there! This is my first Yuno x Asta work and hopefully I will have more to come in the future, but I thought that a soulmate AU is a classic in any fandom and we're missing one so I decided to write it. Enjoy!

“Yuno! I’ll bet you all my tatoes that my grimoire is cooler looking than yours!”

“What are you going to do when you end up sleeping on an empty stomach tonight?”

“As if! My grimoire is going to be the coolest, awesomest, strongest looking one ever!”

“The appearance doesn’t matter. You could have the coolest looking one and it could still be weak and useless.”

“Oh come on, Yuno! Why do you have to be so smart?”

“To make up for your incompetence. After all, I’m going to become the next Wizard King.”

“Yeah right! Just you wait. I’ll get my magic and beat you once I get my grimoire!”

Yuno smiled. Asta was the same as ever. The spiky-haired menace was born without magic in a world where magic was everything. It decided your social standing. It separated the weak from the strong. And yet here that knucklehead was, as excited as ever (even more than usual if Yuno was being honest) on their way to receive their grimoires.

Asta was practically boiling with anticipation. His eyes lit up a bright emerald green as the two moved closer to the tower. He was so jittery that Yuno could almost feel waves of it rolling off of him. The raven-haired teen almost wanted to make fun of him for it, but this was an important day for the shrimp.

Yuno had grown up with Asta. He had seen the ash blonde at both his best and his worst. Yuno had seen him clench his fists when the other kids in Hage made fun of him for not having magic. Yuno had seen Asta frown and huff in frustration when he tried to grasp the power within himself and was left empty-handed. But perhaps the most awful thing Yuno had seen happened when they were about eleven years old.

Asta had been crying. His eyes and nose were puffy, red and Yuno can remember the sadness in his childhood friend’s eyes as if it were yesterday.

_________________________________

_Yuno sat next to the sniffling boy and reached out to touch his shoulder the way he had seen Sister Lily do when one of the other kids had scraped their knee or was upset._

_“Asta? What’s wrong?” Yuno said in his shy and soft-spoken childhood demeanor._

_“I still don’t have my soul mark, Yuno,” he paused to wipe his tears on his sleeve, ”Everyone else our age has one..."_

_Yuno had no idea what to say. It was strange to see his best friend so upset in the first place. He couldn’t remember the last time he had seen Asta so depressed. He understood why though._

_Asta had always dreamed of one thing - obtaining his magic. He longed for it not only because he wanted to gain powers strong enough to protect those he cared for and become the Wizard King, but also to get his soul mark._

_Soul marks were linked to a person’s magic and manifested on their body as soon as their magical abilities did. Yuno had his on the left side of his chest, right where his heart was, since he was seven years old. Sister Lily had told him that someone with the same mark was his soulmate, the love of his life and that he should do everything he could to make sure they were happy and safe._

_But Asta still didn't have his magic. They were only eleven, but even the late bloomers of the village still managed to get their magic and soul marks a few years ago._

_Asta was different. He still didn't show any signs of developing magical attributes whatsoever, despite all the physical training Yuno knows he does. Given all of that, he completely understood why Asta was feeling so down._

_If he had no magic, did that mean Asta had no soulmate too? That was the doubt that Yuno knew the other had._

_"Yuno...what if I don't have one? What if I really don't have magic? Sister Lily always told us that **everyone** has_ _a soulmate! What if," the boy sobbed with his hands clutching the worn fabric of his shirt," I'm the only one that doesn't? What if no one ever loves me?"_

_Yuno couldn't take it anymore. He stood up and looked down at the small figure of his teary-eyed friend._

_"That will never be true."_

_"How do you know?" Asta asks shakily._

_"Because I love you."_

_"Huh?"_

_"Everyone at the orphanage does too. We may not be your soulmate, but we still care about you. Besides, who needs a soulmate when you have a rival?"_

_Asta giggled at that and looked up at Yuno with his signature smile. His eyes and nose were still red, but Yuno can tell that he feels much better than before._

_"Says the guy with a cool clover crown as his mark."_

_"It's just a mark. It doesn't define you," Yuno replied._

_"Maybe you're right."_

_________________________________

It's been years since that day, but Yuno can't help but replay it in his mind as they get closer and closer to the tower that would decide their fates. They've both grown (well Asta hasn't but it's just an expression). However, Yuno knows that same doubt is always in the back of Asta's mind.

For his friend's sake, Yuno hopes the shorter gets his mark. For his own sake, he hopes that Asta doesn't.

It was the highest degree of selfishness a person could achieve and he knew it. He felt the guilt eat away at his conscious constantly. Yuno knew, but he couldn't stop himself from wanting. He was someone that looked at things logically, and it was simple reasoning that leads to a better outcome.

If Asta had a soulmate, he would get distracted. He would be too busy with them trying to recreate some romantic fantasy instead of training. He would fall behind and wouldn't be strong enough to reach their dream. Asta might forget about him, and that didn't sit right with Yuno.

If Yuno was being completely honest with himself, there is a part of him that wants Asta to be his soulmate. It's the most self-serving part of himself, the part that wants Asta to only pay attention to him and him alone. However, Yuno can't count on that kind of luck. Asta isn't the kind of guy to have lady luck on his side.

And logically, Asta not having a mark means he isn't necessarily destined to be with Yuno either. He knows that. But he is willing to live with that as long as no one gets in the way of their dream.

Again, he knew it was selfish, but Yuno was even willing to ignore his own soulmate in favor of keeping their childhood promise. Asta meant the world to him. More than even a soulmate could.

There was only one person that held Yuno's heart, and it was the idiot walking next to him, trying to coax the dark-haired boy into racing him to the tower with a grin on his face.

Damn did that boy have the cutest smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How do you like the first chapter? I hope I gave enough of a introduction to the AU I'm trying to build here. Anyway, I'm open to suggestions and comments are always nice to read. They motivate me to write as well as provide nice feedback. See ya soon with the next update!


	2. Don't Give Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The grimoire ceremony takes place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I took too long to update. I know some of you were waiting a long time for a new chapter. Can I promise I won't do it again? No. But don't let me. Leave your nice comments and tell me you want an update, because that's the only reason I regained inspiration to work on this fic. And after reading all your comments in the first chapter, I have no intention of leaving it unfinished. Enjoy!

Yuno panted with his hands placed firmly on his knees, a small bead of sweat cascading down the side of his face. From his peripheral vision, he could see Asta doing the same.

"You crazy meathead."

"Hey, you could have said no!"

"I refuse to lose to a dwarf like you, even in something as petty as a race."

"Well it was a tie, so technically you didn't win."

"Yeah, but you didn't either and that's all that matters."

Asta made a childish "Hmph!" noise and turned away to look at the tower that was looming over them. All that was left was a short walk to the entrance, where Yuno could already see many mages their age.The shorter then shifted his eyes back to Yuno.

“You ready?”

 _“Are you?”_ Yuno wanted to reply, but he kept his mouth shut. There was no need to refer to it, so he dropped the comment altogether. Besides, he was confident his worries would be for nothing. If there was one thing Asta could do, it’s defy the odds. He would get his grimoire, and they would continue being rivals. That’s what Yuno knew would happen.

That’s what **_had_ ** to happen.

Yuno simply nodded and began walking toward the tower. Asta was by his side in a second, stomping his little feet on the ground and playing with his fingers behind his back. He looked awkward as all hell and Yuno almost wanted to distance himself for how embarrassing the ash haired boy was being. 

The pair walked inside the tower, where many were already standing, making idle chit-chat with one another as they all waited for the main event to begin. Most conversations took the form of not-so-subtle bragging, claiming that their grimoire would be thick and filled with spells, which Yuno absolutely despised. Others wondered what their grimoire would look like and if it would be like they had imagined. 

He paid no mind to the useless chatter, and he and Asta moved where there was more free space in the center of the crowd.

An old man with a long beard and a wizard hat dropped down from a ledge to a podium at the bottom on a flying carpet. Yuno looked at the man with impatient eyes and listened to his little speech. Asta was beside him, his eyes sparkling at the mention of the Magic Knights in the old man’s speech.

A million thoughts were running through Yuno’s head as the master of the grimoire tower finally stopped talking and the first girl got her grimoire. The books glowed in all kinds of colors. Some were thick and weighty, others were thin and light, each one finding its way way to its respectful owner.

If Yuno weren't calm and collected he would pray. He would put his hands together and repeat the same sentence over and over so God would listen to him. So he could grant him the only wish he had ever had since him and Asta ran and played as kids.

_Please give Asta his magic._

If only he could will himself to do so. He needed to have faith that no such action was necessary. Asta would receive it. In the midst of all these people, each one with their grimoire, there was no way Asta didn’t have one.

Except Asta never had fate on his side. Since birth, he was always given the short end of the stick. It seemed as though history was determined to repeat itself. Asta knelt down, both hands raised in the air, poised to receive a book that was never coming.

“Look at that loser. He doesn’t have any magic! Why is he even here? He clearly doesn’t have a grimoire.”

People laughed. Yuno grit his teeth and stayed quiet. There was no way. He had been so sure-

Yuno’s headache was interrupted when he heard a shout from the back of the crowd.

"The four leaf grimoire!"

More gasps. People murmured left and right. He looked up. It was coming towards him.

"Only the first Wizard King had a four leaf grimoire!"

"It’s said to hold immense power and luck. He must be destined for greatness!"

Yuno simply took the book from the air. He didn’t say a word. He wanted to proclaim that he would become Wizard King; he wanted to say something to Asta; he wanted to tell him he still believed in their promise. He still had faith.

But he couldn’t get the words out.

As he walked past Asta to make his way outside the tower, he heard Asta speak and stopped dead in his tracks.

“Yuno...just you wait. I’ll catch up to you in no time. I’m still your rival!”

People laughed in the same manner they had before. He didn’t get what was so funny. Without looking back, Yuno exited the tower.

_Asta you moron. You’ll always be my rival. I just wish you could be something more._

_________________________________

The sun was starting to set. It's rays cast an orange blanket over the town of Hage. The ash-blonde’s view from the forest on the outskirts of town was beautiful, but he had something else on his mind.

“Yuno,” he whispered to no one.

_Why did you ignore me? Am I not good enough to be your rival anymore? Did you forget our promise?_

Asta closed his eyes and willed is thoughts to stop. He clenched his fists and yelled out into the empty forest.

“Like hell I’m gonna give up! Don’t underestimate me fate!”

“Ahh!” a voice screamed.

Asta’s eyes shot in the direction of the terrified shout. His venting would have to wait a while. Someone was in trouble. The spiky haired boy jumped through the trees, following the sound of metal clanking.

Asta burst forth from the forest trees into a clearing. With nothing to keep him in the air, he crashed hard on a stone wall. He quickly stood up and glanced around. Two guys he barely recognized from the grimoire ceremony earlier that day were pinned against the walls on either side of him. Both were bleeding, but Asta didn't pay much attention to them. What really caught his eye was a gangly man with long black hair, a scar running vertically across his left eye, and a nasty smile on his face. In his hand was Yuno's four leaf grimoire. Behind the man was his rival, hands pinned to his sides with chains wrapped around his entire torso.

 _“_ What the hell do you think you’re doing? Give back Yuno’s grimoire!” the teenager exclaimed. The man responded with a hysterical laugh. 

“I remember you! You’re that kid with no magical power whatsoever! You were the only one that didn’t get a grimoire. What makes you think I’ll listen to a runt like you?” Suddenly, the pages of the man’s own grimoire flipped.

“Asta, run!” he heard Yuno shout.

His short legs kicked into high gear as the nameless man sent several magical chains, all with spear-like ends, in his direction. Asta ran straight toward the man in hopes of landing a punch on him. Years spent building up his body instead of relying on magic made him strong. Asta was much fitter than any of the other boys his age, but the chains moved too fast. He had no chance to dodge them.

The ash-blonde screamed in agony as one chain pierced through is leg, another following soon after in his chest. For the second time that day he slammed into the stone wall. The creepy man was far from finished though. As if what he had done wasn’t enough, the man raised his foot and kicked Asta's shoulder, grinding his heel so the younger could really feel it.

Everything hurt so much. Asta could feel blood dripping from his face, chest, and legs. He couldn’t even muster enough energy to raise his head, but he didn't want to give up.

“Not yet. I’m have to become the Wizard King.”

_I still haven’t forgotten the promise we made to each other, Yuno._

“You? Become Wizard King? Don’t make me laugh! I can’t sense a drop of magic coming from you! You were born with no magic. You’ll be lucky if you can even get a job. Magic means everything in this world. Any loser that doesn’t have any is worth **_nothing_ **.”

_Nothing? Is that all I’ll ever be? Some kid from the boonies with no magic? Do I really not have any? I waited all these years, trained everyday until the sun set, just to have nothing?_

_I mean nothing. I have no magic. No grimoire. No soulmate. I...have no place in this world. Yuno doesn’t even see me as a rival anymore. How could he? There’s nothing to compete against._

_I’m just going to give-_

“Hey!” Yuno yells. Asta shifts his gaze from the ground to his childhood friend. Yuno’s amber eyes were locked on Asta, betraying more emotion than the injured boy could ever remember being on Yuno's face since they were kids.

“Who are you calling a loser? It’s true that he won’t be able to become the Wizard King because I’m going to become the Wizard King! He’s no loser! He’s my rival!”

Something in Asta snaps.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Harass me (nicely) on Twitter @jypjisungie so you can pester me to work on updates. Or comment. Kind words are always appreciated. Love you guys.


	3. Luck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asta gets his grimoire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Bet ya didn't expect me back so soon but some lovely comments gave me inspiration! I really like this chapter. As always I like to shift the canon to fit my AU so there are noticeable differences in how the story unfolds. Hope you enjoy~~~

A wall being destroyed. A curtain being lifted. A glass ceiling being shattered. That was what Asta felt deep inside his body. In that split second, it was like everything that was holding him back disappeared.

“Not yet. I’m not giving up yet. Thank you, Yuno.”

Asta doesn’t blink, his eyes are trained on his enemy. Unbeknownst to him, his right eye flashes red. Black markings appear on the same side of his face. They vanish as quickly as they had appeared, and in their place arrives the very object that caused this predicament.

A grimoire.

The area around the silver-toned blonde becomes dark. The well-worn book presents itself in front of Asta, emitting a strange red and black aura unlike any of the other grimoires Asta had seen in all his fifteen years of life. Asta simply stares at the book in awe. Did he dare even touch it?

He doesn’t have to wait long before the grimoire makes the decision for him and opens of its own will. The pages turn and turn before finally settling on what it was looking for. Asta expected some kind of magic, a spell of some kind that he could use to attack the enemy. Instead, a giant sword erupts from the pages of the grimoire, landing in front of him with enough force to stab the ground below him and stay in place.

With a newfound resolve, Asta grips the hilt of his weapon. He takes it out of the ground and dully notes its weight. He finds himself appreciating all those days training his body once more. He corrected his stance so he could run easily.

“Hey, thief guy. Ya know how you said I was a loser with no magic? Well guess what? I do have magic.” Asta tensed, preparing for an attack on his dumbfounded target.

“Not giving up is my magic!”

A swift slash of his sword to the man’s chest was all it took. The sword cut through the magic chains the man summoned to protect himself, and the now unconscious man lay splayed out on the ground in a star shape. The chains binding Yuno and the other two guys from the grimoire ceremony (who were now running away from the scene at full speed) dissipated. His sword returns to his grimoire and the book closes. Asta shakily reaches for it, fatigue finally catching up to him. His fingers make contact with the item he had longed for ever since he could remember.

As soon as he touches his grimoire, Asta’s face is overcome with the sensation of pricking needles. His face also feels warmer than usual, but he attributes both of these feelings to the overwhelming joy of receiving his grimoire. He clutches the old book to his chest as he makes eye contact with Yuno. His best friend is smiling fondly.

“I knew you’d get one,” he says.

In that moment, Asta feels entirely too much. Without thinking, he uses what little energy he has left to run to the raven haired boy and hug him. With his head pressed up against the taller’s chest, Asta notices that the uncomfortable feeling in his face is gone. The shorter smiles, fully content and happy.

Yuno’s eyes widen, stiffening from shock, but he quickly recovers and doesn’t waste his opportunity at contact with Asta. He wraps his arms around the ash blonde. He didn’t look like it, but he was nervous having the boy of his affections in his arms. His stomach felt as if it was filled with a thousand butterflies. Even as he felt a cool evening breeze pass them, he felt warm.

“Hey, Asta. Do you remember our promise?” he asked.

“You mean you remember?”

“I couldn’t forget even if I wanted to. Even someone born from nothing, someone who is poor, or an orphan can achieve greatness. Our promise was to protect who we cared for and prove that anyone can become Wizard King. That hasn’t changed. We’re still rivals.”

Asta’s smile only gets bigger. They were still rivals. Yuno believed in him.

“It’s getting late. We should head home before Sister Lily starts to worry about us.” Yuno sighs, not at all happy to have to withdraw from their warm embrace, but he knew everyone at the orphanage would worry about them. He pulls away first and looks around, spotting his four leaf grimoire on the floor next to the body of the man who tried to steal it. He picks it up and returns to Asta, who is scratching his cheek, eyebrows furrowed.

“You okay?” Asta shrugged off Yuno’s concern. 

“Yeah, it's nothing. My face just feels weird is all.” 

“Alright. Let’s go then.”

They walked side by side, not unlike how they did earlier that day before the grimoire ceremony. The major difference was the color of the sky. No longer was it a bright, light blue. Now its hue was darker, the sun finishing to set and making the sky a deep purple color. Yuno thought it was quite beautiful. 

The boy then gave his full attention to his companion. Asta had a hand raised, feeling his forehead. There was blood on it from the fight, but the bleeding stopped a while ago and that wasn’t what seemed to be bothering the other.

“You sure you’re okay?” Yuno’s eyebrows bunched up in concern. Asta had been through a lot today.

“I just feel a little warm. It’s probably nothing.” Asta looked like he was trying to convince himself of that statement more than Yuno. The onyx haired boy was having none of it. Before he could convince himself otherwise, Yuno grabbed Asta’s hand and held it.

“Let’s hurry. You might be getting a fever.” Yuno quickened his pace and forced Asta to keep up. While walking back, Asta frequently looked down at their intertwined hands. As if by magic, when Yuno grabbed his hand, the unpleasant heat he had been feeling faded away.

_________________________________

When they arrived, both boys had to explain to Sister Lily and Father Orgi what happened. Asta bragged about being able to get a grimoire, and they were both seated for a late dinner. Sister Lily was in the kitchen washing dishes as the two boys ate, Nash by her side. It was his turn on drying duty tonight. The two teenagers seated at the table hear Nash’s voice from the kitchen as they continue eating.

“Asta! If you got your grimoire today does that mean you got your soul mark too?”

Asta’s fork drops from his hand, making a loud sound as it clatters against his plate. He quickly stands up and runs in the direction of the bathroom, no doubt to scour his body in search of his soul mark. 

Damn. Yuno looked down at his own plate and closed his eyes. With everything that happened today he had forgotten about that.

No matter what, he had to be supportive. His feelings didn’t matter. Only Asta’s did. Whatever mark appeared on his body, he would try to be happy for Asta or at least look like he was. This was all the other boy had ever wanted. Yuno had no right to selfishly interfere in Asta’s love life. Whatever happened, Yuno had to be prepared.

“YUNO! CAN YOU COME INTO THE BATHROOM WITH ME FOR A SEC?!”

Okay he _definitely_ wasn’t prepared for _that_.

Curiosity getting the better of him, Yuno pushed back his chair and made his way past a snickering Nash toward the bathroom. He stared at the knob for a second, steeling himself to see a mark on his best friend that wouldn’t match his own clover crown. He twisted the knob, pushed in the door, and closed it behind him.

There, standing in the middle of a very small church bathroom was Asta, wearing only boxers. The whole situation was incredibly ridiculous and Yuno would have laughed if not for two things.

  1. He was embarrassed. Sure, he had seen Asta naked before and took baths with him, but that was before Yuno realized his feelings for the smaller (and before hormones were brought into the equation).
  2. Asta looked distressed.



“What’s wrong?” He was proud that his voice didn’t shake when he spoke those words.

“I can’t find it! I can’t find my soul mark! It must be here somewhere. Yuno, tell me if you see it!” He was frantic while talking. Yuno could feel his desperation as he spoke. Asta lifted his arms and slowly turned, showing his entire body to Yuno.

The raven haired boy looked closely for any sign of a black mark that wasn’t there before. All while getting a front row seat to look at Asta’s defined muscles. He checked carefully three times. Nothing. They tried looking behind his ear, in between his fingers and toes, the bottoms of his feet, they even combed his hair back to look at his scalp. Nothing.

“I don’t get it. I got my grimoire. How come I don’t have a mark?” The blonde sat on the toilet seat cover, staring down at the bathroom tiles. His voice sounded so sad.

“I know you might not want to hear this, but you still don’t have magic. Your sword looked like it repelled magic, but you didn’t use any to win the fight. Soul marks appear when a person’s magic develops, and you technically still don’t have any.”

“So what am I supposed to do? Just be happy that I’ll never have a soul mark?”

“If you stopped to think about it for once you would realize that it’s not so bad. You’re the only one in the world that has free will. You can choose who you want to be with without the burden of a mark making you feel guilty for who you’re not with.”

“Is that how you feel about it? Is your mark a burden to you?”

Yuno remained silent.

“Sorry. You don’t have to answer that. I know a lot of people never find their soulmate and still have relationships, but I always liked the idea of only being with the one I was destined for. It’s stupid now I guess, since I don’t have a soulmate.”

“It’s not stupid. It’s sweet.” Asta smiled at that.

“Thanks. You’re really lucky, ya’know? A four leaf grimoire and a soul mark…” Asta trailed off as his smile turned sad, so unlike his usual demeanor.

Somehow, Yuno didn’t feel very lucky right now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me how you liked this chapter in the comments. I love reading them <3 See you soon!


	4. Needles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asta and Yuno journey to the Royal Capital.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aye! Sup guys! I'm happy to bring you another update! It'll be the last one of the year but hopefully 2020 brings a lot more! My new year's resolution is to finish this fic, so don't let me fail.

It was the early morning, sometime between six and seven, when Asta and Yuno began their journey to the Royal Capital.

Both had trained for months prior in preparation for the Magic Knights Entrance Exam. Every day since the pair got their grimoires, the rivals could be found on opposite sides of the forest, testing their newfound power. Days would turn to nights more often than not. Neither wanted to be surpassed by the other, training until the only light left in the sky was that of the moon and stars.

Father Orgi and Sister Lily had woken up even earlier than the two boys to prepare them a hearty breakfast for the arduous trek ahead. After their normal morning routine (a shower, tooth brushing, and in Asta’s case, a sad glance at the mirror whenever he caught a glimpse of his markless body) as well as their delicious potato breakfast, everyone went outside to bid Asta and Yuno farewell. Excluding the blatant claims from Nash and Father Orgi that Asta would fail the exam and have to come home right away, it was a warm-hearted goodbye.

The spiky-haired boy smiled as he waved back at the people he considered to be his family. He would miss them a lot, but he had his destiny ahead of him. He could feel it. Asta walked with his best friend, reaching the forest filled edge of Hage in no time. 

“You excited, Yuno? I sure am. We’re finally on our way to the Royal Capital!” Asta shouted. As if to showcase just how enthusiastic he was, he did a series of tiny spin jumps Yuno couldn’t help but find adorable.

“Excited? Aren’t you scared?” Yuno asked.

“Should I be?” Asta tilted his head in that cute way he does when he’s confused. The black-haired boy simply shook his head, giving Asta a soft smile and looking longingly into those bright emerald eyes.

“You never change.”

There it was again. The sensation of pricking needles all over Asta’s body. An unpleasant warmth in his face. The shorter had been experiencing these weird feelings ever since the day of the grimoire ceremony. It would come and go seemingly at random, but it happened a lot when he was around Yuno. The golden-eyed boy would sometimes just glance at him and Asta would feel like a million ants were crawling all over his body. There was only one thing Asta found that would distract him enough for the feeling to go away.

Training.

“Hey, Yuno! Walking is super boring. We should train on our way to the capital. Race ya!” Without waiting for a response, Asta ran full speed ahead, away from Yuno. After a split second of confusion, the other broke out into a mad dash to catch up with the blonde. There’s no way he would let the twerp beat him, even if he had an unfair head start.

The two ran until their legs felt like they would fall off. Doubled over, they panted in unison while trying to regain their breath. They made a nice chunk of progress in a short amount of time, but considering the amount of pain Yuno’s lungs were in at the moment, he wasn’t entirely sure it was worth it. The usually collected and calm boy was breathing heavily, a bead of sweat running down the side of his face, cheeks flushed.

“Well...that was a workout,” the raven-haired boy said in a raspy voice, eyes making contact with Asta’s.

The needles. Asta knew his cheeks were already red from running, but he could feel his temperature rising even higher. Yuno was staring at him, out of breath. His hair was slightly matted from sweat, and his normally pale skin was pink from heat. He said the run was a workout, but Asta could think of many  _ other _ ways for them to get a good workout.

Wait...

**_WOAH. NO. NO. NO. NO!_ **

Asta had to shake his head to get his mind out of the gutter. What the hell was he thinking?!

“I...I’M NOT DONE YET!”

Even though his legs felt numb and his heart pounded furiously in his chest, Asta kept running in hopes of getting away from the taller. He had a weird feeling in his gut. He wanted to get rid of it as soon as possible. Mouth agape, Yuno reluctantly followed his best friend. He should have known that the meathead still had energy.

Well, at least Asta looked cute while running.

_________________________________

Several days passed on their trip. They had gone through forests, deserts, marshes, mountains, and rivers. Time flew by as they continued to get closer and closer to the Royal Capital. If they weren’t walking (or sprinting) they were hunting for food or setting up camp. It was peaceful, sometimes even domestic.

A part of Yuno loved holding Asta’s full attention. Back home it was constantly divided, being split with Sister, Father, and the kids. Asta was always overly dramatic and talkative, but he was even more so in front of them. He enjoyed making everyone laugh even if it was at his expense. On their journey, it was a different story. Yuno could see his more focused and concentrated side. When they hunted for wild boars, he was surprisingly patient, and they worked well together. If he had to guess, Yuno would say that his training served him well. He was proud of Asta, happy their bond was visible in such mundane tasks.

If only their bond was visible somewhere else. Then Yuno would be  _ truly _ happy.

The teen sat up against the trunk of a tall tree. They were on the outskirts of another forest. This would be the last time they would camp out in the wilderness. The map they had brought to guide them indicated that after a hike up a mountainous rock formation and a walk through a forest trail, they would arrive at the capital.

It was dark, but the fire Asta had made provided some much needed light and warmth. Yuno watched the flames dance with the wind, hearing the crackle of burning wood and the rustle of leaves. Too caught up in his thoughts, he didn’t notice Asta sit next to him until the ash-blonde spoke.

“It’s nice isn’t it?” Yuno was startled, showing no sign of it other than rapidly blinking his eyes. He had to stop thinking so much. He was zoning out.

“What?”

“It’s nice being out here. Just the two of us. Don’t ya think?” Asta wasn’t looking at him. He was hunched over a little, staring at the ground rather than looking Yuno in the eyes. He may be imagining it, but Yuno swears he could see a blush on Asta’s cheeks.

“Yeah, I do. I’m surprised. You don’t usually think about this kind of stuff. I’m not even sure you actually think.” He received a playful punch to the shoulder for that one.

“Oh c’mon! Give me  _ some _ kind of credit. I can think!”

“Really? Then what are you thinking about?”

“You.” Asta’s eyes go wide at his own response. Yuno can tell the boy didn’t mean to say it out loud.

“Oh?” Yuno’s lips formed a smug smirk, enjoying Asta’s admission.

“Don’t look so smug, pretty boy! I was just joking!” Asta’s cheeks got redder. The light from the fire bathed his body in a warm orange hue. Feeling brave, Yuno leaned closer to the smaller boy. Asta still avoided his gaze, face turned away, giving Yuno the perfect opportunity to whisper in his ear.

“You think I’m pretty?”

Yuno’s warm breath grazing his outer ear and neck was the last straw. Asta felt like his heart was going to explode. The prickling sensation came in a wave so intense it was borderline painful. He couldn’t take it anymore. 

Asta pressed his left side against Yuno’s right, grabbing ahold of his arm and hiding his face in Yuno’s shoulder. He had done the same thing only once before. The day he got his grimoire. The weird sensation dulled, but only a little.

“Stop teasing me…” the blonde whispered into Yuno’s chest. There was a tense silence for a few seconds too long. Asta debated whether the dark-haired boy had heard him or not until Yuno finally answered in a low voice of his own.

“I was serious. I want to know.” Yuno’s free arm moved of its own accord, finding Asta’s and interlocking their hands. This might be his chance. Asta shakily raised his head and finally looked Yuno in the eyes. That was a big mistake. His green eyes were glued to Yuno’s honey ones. He couldn’t will himself to look away. When Yuno held his hand, his thoughts somehow cleared. The unpleasant feeling faded away, leaving comfort and desire in its wake. Yuno gave Asta’s hand a gentle squeeze that made his breath hitch.

“Do you think I’m pretty?” Yuno repeated.

“Yes.” The response was instant. There was no way Asta could deny how good Yuno looked. He was tall and lean. His jaw was sharp and his hair was shiny. His eyes were golden and full of emotion. His lips looked so soft. Asta’s eyes darted to the other’s lips for a split second before going back to Yuno’s. The action didn’t go unnoticed by the raven-haired boy.

“Asta. How do you feel about me?”

There was a small pause. Asta thought about how he wanted to answer.

“I mean, you’re my best friend. Someone I can always count on. Someone I’d do anything for. But lately, whenever I’m near you I get these weird feelings. Like needles pricking my skin. And I feel really hot. It makes me uncomfortable and it hurts sometimes. But when we touch it goes away. I’m really confused.” Asta confessed.

“Wait. What? Are you in pain?” Yuno’s face tensed in concern.

“No, at least not right now. You’re holding my hand.”

“What if I let go?”

“Try it.”

Yuno pulled his hand away from Asta’s. Within ten seconds the boy’s face was crimson.

“Holy shit…”

“Yeah. That feeling also came back. I think it’s getting worse.”

Yuno glanced at the boy he loved. Now wasn’t the time for a confession. However, it  _ was _ time for an opportunistic plan. Yuno reached out and held Asta’s hand once more, watching as the color in his cheeks slowly dulled.

“Asta. I don’t want you to feel like this, especially before the Magic Knights Exam. If you ever need to hold my hand or need me to touch you, just say so. I don’t mind.”

“Are you sure? What if people look at us weird?”

“That’s their problem. You come first,” he answered truthfully.

“Thank you, Yuno. Can...can we sleep like this?” This time, the blush that came to Asta’s face was entirely his own as he gestured to their current position. Yuno nodded, giving him a loving smile and a small chuckle.

That night, with the leaves of a tall oak tree swaying above them and its trunk at their backs, Asta slept with his head resting on Yuno’s shoulder, and their fingers intertwined.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you guys think? I had a lot of trouble writing this chapter just because I had so many ideas on how I wanted it to play out. I was seriously debating having them kiss, but decided against it. As always, please comment on your thoughts. It makes me happy and encourages me to write. Have a happy new year if you read this on time and a lovely day if you aren't. Bye bye~


	5. Of Love and Purple Snakes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asta and Yuno arrive at the Royal Capital.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there! Glad to come back with an update. This chapter is more of a set up for what's to come and I was struggling to find a direction for this story to go in, but I think I have it now. Enjoy~

“Yuno! Look at all this!” 

“I am.”

“Are you really?! This is amazing! How are you not impressed?”

The pair had made it to the Royal Capital. There were stands lined up all along the main street of the city. Vendors offered a variety of different goods, from food to weapons to magical charms. The food was cut by levitating knives and cooked with fire magic. The weapons had sparkly stones and reflected the rays of the sun perfectly. The magical charms made beautiful sparks of every color appear wherever they were used. Fireworks covered the cloudless sky every thirty minutes. It was everything Asta had ever dreamt of.

“I never said I wasn’t. It’s really different from Hage, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, but change can be good. Right?”

“I guess so,” Yuno says with the slightest quirk of his lips.

He couldn’t stop thinking of Asta. Ever since Yuno opened his eyes to the sight of the barely rising sun casting the slightest glow on Asta’s face, the early morning wind blowing through unruly ash blonde hair, he quite literally couldn’t think straight. The smaller boy’s face was buried in his chest, his own arms around the other’s waist, holding him close. It was everything Yuno had ever dreamt of.

He knew Asta would freak out if he woke up in the arms of his rival, but Yuno wasn’t thinking about that. He was thinking about how Asta’s hair looked so soft even though it was spiked up in every direction imaginable. He took a hand away from Asta’s waist and petted the top of his head, stopping every now and then to play with a particularly soft strand of hair. 

Asta, still unconscious, snuggled further into Yuno’s chest. He shifted his hand slightly and in this new position, it was resting directly on top of the dark-haired boy's soul mark. Yuno’s heartbeat shot through the roof. Typically, contact with a person’s soul mark was reserved for only themselves and their soulmate. Granted, there was a layer of clothing separating Asta’s hand and Yuno’s mark, but it was still so  _ close _ . 

Yuno waited until he had sufficiently calmed down to move. He carefully separated himself from Asta, making sure none of his movements would wake the boy. After that, he gently shook Asta’s shoulders to wake him up.

“Yuno...five more minutes,” Asta grumbled. He lazily raised his hand to signal for Yuno to go away and let him sleep more.

“Come on, sleeping beauty. Don’t you want to get to the Royal Capital? What if we’re late for the Magic Knights Exam?” Yuno knew mentioning the exam was a petty tactic to wake the other, but it was effective. Asta shot up, his grogginess long forgotten.

“I’m up. Let’s go!” Asta shouted.

“Don’t you want to eat first?”

“We can get something at the Capital! Come on. Hurry up, we’re wasting time! I can't become Wizard King if I'm late!” he whined.

Yuno merely shook his head at Asta’s antics and gathered his belongings. They walked the final stretch to the Royal Capital in comfortable silence. The whole time, Yuno stayed close to Asta and held his hand. Usually, Asta would run ahead and they would race, tiring themselves out. But Yuno wouldn’t let Asta get too far away from him. Not today. The smaller needed to be in perfect condition for the Magic Knights Entrance Exam.

That was how Yuno’s morning started. Now they were exploring the city streets, stopping to take in all the sights they had never had the privilege to experience in their small town. Asta’s eyes were filled with wonder and amazement.

It wasn’t that Yuno was unimpressed by their surroundings, it’s that he was busy looking at something much more beautiful.

Asta’s smile.

With his free hand, (the two hadn’t stopped holding hands since the morning) Asta pointed to a castle in the distance. It looked huge, standing proudly at the city center, elevated from the rest of the buildings around it. It was the Wizard King’s castle.

“See that, Yuno? That’ll be mine someday,” he spoke. There wasn’t a shred of doubt in his voice. Not an ounce of fear in his eyes. Only confidence and hope.

“That’s my line,” Yuno replied. He smiled and Asta grinned, speaking with their eyes. As much as they called each other rivals, their bond went past that. Even if Asta didn’t quite realize it.

Their moment was broken by the loud gurgle of a stomach.

Both of Asta’s hands flew to his stomach as he let out an awkward laugh. The blush that rose to his face was a mix of embarrassment and the prickling feeling that came with the absence of contact with Yuno. The black-haired boy let out a small laugh. Asta always made him laugh.

“Come on, let’s get you something quick to eat before you starve.” Yuno took Asta’s hand once more, leading them towards the food stalls. There was an old lady selling grilled purple snakes near them. Asta wanted to get food there because it was cheap, but something told Yuno that her lack of business probably meant something about her food and decided against it. Instead, he directed Asta’s attention to a beef skewer stand with a small line of customers.

When they were at the front of the line, Yuno gave the vendor money for two skewers. They couldn’t afford more. He handed both of them to blonde at his side. Asta’s face morphed into the dictionary definition of confusion.

“Aren’t you going to have one?” he asked.

“I’m not hungry. It isn’t enough to fill you, but you should have both. I’ll be fine,” Yuno said.

“No way,” Asta said while shaking his head. “Take one.” The boy held out the skewer for Yuno to grab, but the taller just shook his head.

“I’m fine, Asta.”

The boy looked up at him, green eyes unwavering.

“Eat,” he commanded, holding a skewer to the taller's lips, waiting. Yuno blushed. He could feel people staring at them and ultimately decided to give Asta what he wanted. Yuno opened his mouth, lips wrapping around a piece of beef all the while never breaking eye contact with the boy feeding him. To be fair, Asta never looked away either. They stood there for a while, Asta feeding him in perfect silence, never taking their eyes off one another. The green-eyed boy was only satisfied when Yuno had finished an entire skewer. The whole thing had Yuno’s brain reeling. The atmosphere was so tense, and Yuno had no idea why. He needed some time to think. Alone.

“Hey, I need to go to the bathroom. I’ll be right back. Don’t move. I’ll be quick.” Yuno hurriedly excused himself without waiting for the silver-haired boy to respond, immediately feeling guilty. He knew Asta would be in pain for a little, but he needed to think clearly. He could never do that if Asta was around.

He headed toward a public restroom, opening the door and breathing a sigh of relief when he saw it was empty. Yuno looked at himself in the mirror of the bathroom sink and rubbed his temples. This was all so stressful.

He just wanted to confess already.

He was tired of pinning after Asta. He was tired of not having Asta to himself. He was tired of not being able to kiss and hold the other the way he wanted to. Asta mentioning the pain he was feeling wasn’t helping either.

It should have been amazing. Wonderful even. But Yuno wanted  _ more _ . He wanted so much more. What he had was just a taste of what it would be like to have Asta as his boyfriend. Yuno had to hold himself back constantly so as not to cross the line of friendship he was carefully tiptoeing on.

But he couldn’t tell Asta the truth.

Yuno knew Asta only thought about him as a friend. He had only ever thought of one person romantically and that person was his soulmate. Asta would constantly talk about waiting until he found his soulmate to start a relationship, saying he would only ever love his soulmate. But Asta didn’t have one.

_ "But what if he did?" _ Yuno's mind supplied.

If Asta had a soulmate, Yuno was certain the blonde would make good on those promises.

Suddenly, a shock came through Yuno’s body, and along with it, a plan.

If he confessed to Asta too soon and Asta wasn’t ready for it, he would be rejected. If he tried making the boy look at him in a romantic light and actually succeeded, Asta would feel guilty about Yuno being with him when he had a soulmate. There was only one thing Yuno could do so he could finally get what he had wanted for so long.

He had to convince Asta they were soulmates.

_________________________________

Back on the Royal Capital’s main street stood Asta, cheeks flushed and his hand feeling empty for some reason he couldn't quite pinpoint. For once, he followed Yuno’s directions and stayed put. Being away from the taller seemed to drain his energy as if the needles and the blushing weren’t bad enough already.

Asta was uncomfortable. He hated feeling like he was dependant on someone else, but every second Yuno was away from him was like torture. The small boy stared blankly at the ground. He was acting so unusual that if was scaring  _ himself _ . Asta was so focused on trying to figure out what was wrong with himself he nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard the old lady he saw before speaking to him.

“Oh~ how precious! Was that handsome young man your soulmate?” she asked innocently.

“Uh...I don’t have a soulmate,” Asta said timidly.

“Nonsense. Everyone has a soulmate,” the lady spoke.

“Not everyone. I don’t have a soul mark. I have no magic.” Asta’s voice became a whisper, ashamed of his missing mark.

“A soulmate is more than just a simple mark. A soulmate’s bond runs through a person’s blood. Magic is merely a way to connect you with each other,” the vendor said cryptically.

“What do you mean?” Asta asked. He didn’t understand.

“I’d suggest you look into the matter yourself.”

“But-”

“Asta? Who are you talking to?”

The boy in question turned around to look at Yuno, who was jogging up to him. Seeing the blush on the other’s face, Yuno took Asta's hand in his. Asta felt himself instantly relax and lean up against the other. His body craved to be close with Yuno and he didn't want to deny it. At least not now. Once his head cleared up a little, he decided to answer the amber-eyed boy's query.

"Oh, it was just the old lady that was selling the purple snakes."

He turned back to the woman to prove his point, but when he looked at where she stood only moments ago, he was greeted with nothing.

The old lady had disappeared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you guys think? Yuno is super whipped in this fic and I needed to really establish that. And Asta is super oblivious and confused in this fic. We'll see how things go. As always nice comments are greatly appreciated!


	6. Good Luck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asta and Yuno take the Magic Knights Entrance Exam.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEEEEEELLLLLLOOOOO! I have had quite the time writing this chapter. I had a lot of very fun and very not fun moments, but I think this is one of the best (and longest) ones yet. Plus, it's a little something to get you through Valentine's Day ;) Enjoy~~~

Yuno takes it all back. He does  **_not_ ** love the idiot walking next to him. Absolutely not.

Outside the colosseum, where the Magic Knights Entrance Exam was being held, a crowd of people were gathered. The citizens watched as the test takers entered, hoping to catch a glimpse of possible future knights and wanting to wish them well.

“Good luck!”

“Do your best!”

Yuno didn’t bat an eye at the crowd. He ignored them and kept walking toward the entrance of the colosseum, but something was stopping him. Or rather, someone.

Asta loved attention, so it was no surprise he was basking in all the cheers of the crowd as they walked past. The dork even  _ waved  _ at them. As if adding to the spectacle, the two boys hadn’t stopped holding hands. People were starting to assume things.

“Look at those two. Are they a couple?”

“They must be. I saw them walking around earlier. They haven’t stopped holding hands.”

“No way! Do you think they’re soulmates?”

“I don’t know. It would be a shame if they were though. The tall one looks super cute! I don’t know what he sees in that dwarf.”

Yuno stopped listening after that. Thankfully, Asta didn’t pay attention to the whispers. That or he didn’t notice them at all. Him not noticing was more likely. Yuno tugged Asta by the hand just a little, a signal that Yuno wanted him to hurry up. The shorter gets the message and quickened his pace, looking away from the adoring crowd in favor of looking ahead of them.

“Is that where we go to check-in?” he asked with a finger pointed to the many lines of mages surrounding the entrance.

“Looks like it. I’m surprised you were smart enough to figure that out.” Asta gave Yuno’s hand a hard squeeze in retaliation, but let his comment go. Asta knew he wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, he just didn’t like other people saying it. However, he knew Yuno never seriously meant it. Yuno had a particular language Asta had grown to somewhat understand over the years. His playful banter meant he was in a good mood. Knowing Yuno was having just as much fun as him, even if he expressed it differently, made Asta happy.

The pair made their way to one of the lines, waiting patiently (at least Yuno was) for their turn up front. Asta was as hyperactive as ever, his seemingly endless energy making him bounce his right leg up and down furiously. Their joined hands also swung back and forth a little, Asta’s arm powering the motion. Yuno glanced down at their hands. He was glad Asta was comfortable holding his hand in public. During their talk in the woods, Asta seemed shy about it, but now he looked completely at ease. Almost as if holding his hand was second nature to him.

The dark-haired boy’s mind wandered as he waited in line. His eyes traveled to Asta. How was he supposed to convince the boy into thinking they were soulmates? Ideas filtered through his head one by one, his brain rejecting each one as soon as he thought of it. Black eyebrows bunched up slightly, deep in thought.

Any detailed plan would be ruined by the unpredictable disaster that was Asta, so the plan had to be vague. Something general and easy to follow. Yuno thought about the overarching challenges he would face during the process.

  1. Asta doesn’t have a soulmate.
  2. Asta sees him as a friend.



So, logically, his plan had to consist of two simple steps.

  1. Convince Asta he has a soulmate.
  2. Make Asta fall in love with him.



Easy. Except not all. He had no idea in hell on how to do either of those things. And if he was honest, it was really fucked up. He didn’t want to  _ convince _ Asta of anything. Yuno wanted Asta to fall in love with him the same way he fell in love with the ash blonde. Naturally, by fate.

He just had to give fate a little push in the right direction.

He would do some research. Yuno was nothing if not thorough. He would look up some information on soulmates and see if there was any hope, something he didn’t know about. Anything that would possibly insinuate that Asta could have a soulmate. 

If there was nothing, he would drop the stupid plan. If there was something, he would tell Asta, and they would find out together. It was a worthy endeavor. If not for him, then for Asta. If they somehow did find a way to get Asta his mark, that was all Yuno could ask for.

Asta’s happiness mattered more than his. He could never allow himself to forget that.

His plan changed accordingly.

  1. Find out if Asta has a soulmate.
  2. Hope Asta will fall in love with him in the process.



It was all he could do. 

Yuno’s inner monologue finished as the two came to the front of the line. Seeing Asta so excited, Yuno asked, “Do you want to go first?”

“YES!” Asta shouted, a full-blown grin on his face. Asta’s eyes shined brightly as he disconnected their hands and ran the short distance from the front of the line to the check-in clerk’s station.

“Hi! I’m Asta from Hage! Here!” Asta practically shoved his grimoire in the clerk’s face before the man could even ask to see it. The man’s face wrinkled in disgust.

“It’s incredibly filthy. Is this thing even real?” the clerk questioned.

“Huh? Of course it is! Take a good look!” Asta proceeds to shove the old book even closer to the poor man.

“Alright, alright. I get it.” The man touched his grimoire lightly, and a white aura surrounded the book. “You’re number one hundred sixty-four.”

“Got it!” Asta quickly moved to the side, making room for Yuno to take his place checking in. He felt the all too familiar feeling of needles digging into his skin, but he could wait until Yuno was done to hold his hand again. As Asta waited for his friend to finish up, he heard gasps of disbelief when Yuno pulled out his grimoire, revealing to everyone around he was the bearer of a four-leaf grimoire.

Asta smiled softly. His rival was incredible. The blonde walked the tiniest bit forward. He could feel his temperature getting out of control, so he reached out for the raven’s hand, slotting their fingers together. Yuno finished his check-in and the pair began to head inside. The smile on Asta's face quickly morphed into a frown, however, when his ears picked up on certain phrases coming from the crowd.

“Those two from the boonies are revolting. I couldn’t care less that one has a four-leaf. He and his boyfriend need to get a room.”

“God, that little green-eyed rat is so clingy. I can’t imagine how embarrassing dating him must be.”

“They’re acting like this is some fun date. I guess it doesn’t matter, they’ll probably fail the exam anyway.”

Was that how people saw him? Was he really being clingy and annoying? Did he look like he wasn’t taking this seriously?

_ Did he look like Yuno’s boyfriend? _

Asta knew people would judge them. He knew it. It was nothing new to him. He was made fun of all his life. He usually paid it no mind, but this was different.

Now Yuno was being made fun of  _ with  _ him and Asta hated it. Yuno didn't deserve it. He was good at magic, talented, and smart. No one should have any reason to insult him like that!

Asta couldn’t remember the last time he had felt genuine anger at the insults people threw at him. His free hand clenched up into a fist, his fingernails digging into his skin, his other hand squeezing Yuno’s.

“Yuno. Let's go.” Asta’s voice was eerily calm. 

_ Looks like he paid attention to the whispers afterall, _ Yuno thought.

They moved silently toward the center of the colosseum, but this time Asta’s hand wasn’t swinging his. This time there wasn’t a smile on the boy’s face. This time, Asta didn’t feel comfortable holding Yuno’s hand. Asta was tense, and so was Yuno.

The thick air around them was cut swiftly by the chirp of a small bird. It had navy blue, almost black colored feathers with a circle of white plumage around its stomach. The center of the bird’s face had beautiful deep red feathers. The creature landed on top of Asta’s head, resting on his hair as if it were its nest. From what Yuno pieced together from the conversations around him, they were antimagic birds. The more birds surrounded you the weaker your magic was.

“Wow. Considering you have no magic whatsoever, there aren’t many birds around you. Maybe today’s your lucky day,” Yuno thought aloud.

Just after he uttered the last syllable of his sentence, an entire flock of birds came flying toward them. They ignored Yuno entirely, favoring instead to target the boy next to him, pecking at the small boy with their sharp beaks. Asta let go of Yuno's hand to try and swat the pests away, but they were relentless. He switched strategies when he saw more antibirds join the attack. His fight or flight response kicked in and, ironically, Asta chose to fly.

“Yuno, what the hell?! You just jinxed me! Get away from me, you stupid birds!” Asta shouted as he ran wildly around the colosseum. If Yuno were alone (and less of a hardass) he would be rolling on the ground, laughing uncontrollably with tears in his eyes. But for now, he just covered his smiling lips with his hand, suppressing the giggles that would rise every time a bird pecked Asta and he said “Ow!”

In the midst of running for his life, Asta failed to see where he was running. There were too many birds obscuring his vision.

Until there weren’t.

The birds suddenly flapped their wings as fast as their bodies would allow, but this time  _ away _ from Asta. The sprinting boy only had enough time to arch his eyebrow in confusion before he ran into someone.

_ THUD! _

Asta falls down from the impact, muttering another soft “ow” as he moved to stand up and apologize to whoever it is he bumped into.

“Haha...sorry about that. You okay?” Asta asked while rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. His blush was starting to return now that he wasn’t running away from the antimagic birds. The emerald-eyed boy glanced up at who he ran into, and his bashfulness morphed into fear.

_ This guy is freaking HUGE! He can’t be fifteen! _

In front of Asta stood a six-foot-tall behemoth of a man. He was ripped from head to toe, white tank top showing off an impressive amount of musculature. He also had a cigarette hanging from his lips. Asta was kind of jealous if he was being honest. This guy looked  _ cool _ .

“I’ll kill you, brat.”

Okay, not gonna lie, that was slightly  _ less  _ cool of him. But he shouldn’t judge a book based on its cover, right? Maybe they had just gotten off on the wrong foot. He should just try being friendly.

“Man, you look really old! You must’ve been through a lot!”

Silence.

The bodybuilder grabs him by the skull.

“Looks like you’re ready to die, shrimp.”

“No, I’m not! I have so much left to live for! I need to become Wizard King. I can’t do that if I’m dead! Please don’t kill me!!!”

His shrill pleas fell on deaf ears. The man squeezed his skull so hard Asta thought his head was about to pop like a grape.

Thankfully, two guys wearing black shoulder capes (the bodybuilder guy in front of him also wore one, he now noticed) came to his rescue. The man let go of him after a brief conversation with the two who had just appeared. As the three walked away and Asta nursed his throbbing cranium, Asta gathered information based on the conversation he just witnessed and the whispers circling about.

“Captain, that’s no way to treat an exam taker.”

“Woah. That was Yami Sukehiro! Captain of the Black Bulls!”

…

Well then.

Asta sure as fuck wasn’t getting into that squad.

“Man, that sucked,” Asta said to himself. The ash-blonde looked around, eyes searching for Yuno’s telltale messy black hair in the crowd. Asta spotted him easily, leaned up against a pillar. Yuno’s own amber eyes seemed to already be watching him from afar. 

Somehow, the thought of Yuno watching over him was comforting. Asta jogged up to the boy, hands nervously pinned behind his back as he fidgeted with his fingers. Yuno probably thought he looked like an idiot.

“Hey,” Yuno said simply. His expression gave away nothing.

“Hey,” Asta repeated, face as red as a tomato.

“Did you have fun embarrassing yourself in front of a squad captain?” Yuno’s face finally betrayed how funny he thought the situation was, his mouth curling into a smile and the corners of his eyes wrinkling in amusement.

“Don’t laugh! My head still hurts! It’s all your fault anyway,” Asta huffed.

“How is it my fault?” Yuno asked.

“You jinxed me with the birds! You just had to go talk about how there weren’t enough around me and then I got attacked! If you didn’t do that I would have never run into him!”

“Fine then. Do you want me to give you something for good luck?”

“You have something that can give me luck?”

“Yeah.”

“Hell yeah, I want it! I need all the luck I can get.”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course.”

Yuno smirked. Asta was way too naive for his own good.

The taller took his weight off the pillar he was leaning against and stood straight, bending down just enough so he was face to face with Asta. Their breath mingled for a brief moment before Yuno leaned into the left side of Asta’s face. He paused for a moment, allowing time for the other to back away if he wanted.

Asta did no such thing.

Yuno’s lips made contact with Asta’s cheek, planting a chaste kiss on soft skin.

Yuno slowly pulled away, amber clashing with emerald as they tried to communicate with only their eyes. Yuno knew Asta didn’t understand what his eyes were trying to say, so he spoke the only words he could manage to muster up after using up all his courage.

“Good luck, Asta.” 

_________________________________

Yuno was one hundred percent sure Asta was avoiding him.

Ever since Yuno kissed him, Asta has been on the opposite side of the colosseum. Yuno wasn’t one for making assumptions, but it was safe to say the spiky-haired boy was going out of his way to be as far from Yuno as physically possible.

The exam had started and needless to say, Asta wasn’t doing so well. So far, the boy had failed every single test they were challenged with.

He bombed the magic ability, magic control, creation magic, and developmental magic exams. Somewhere during the process, Asta made an acquaintance. The guy (he had dull blonde hair in a ponytail and an annoying habit of saying “Bah-ha!”) looked as if he were trying to help Asta, but Yuno hesitated to trust that the stranger was doing so out of the goodness of his heart. No one suddenly decided to befriend someone with no magic ability without some ulterior motive.

Yuno didn’t want to overstep his boundaries, so he left his crush alone. He kept a close eye on the boy though, watching for any signs of discomfort or pain on his face, but strangely enough, Yuno saw none. He was puzzled as to how Asta’s “condition” worked. Right now, he seemed perfectly fine. In the forest, he had become red mere seconds after Yuno had stopped touching him. Yuno kept his mind on this as the exam entered its last phase.

The combat exam.

Yuno didn’t particularly care who he fought against. He knew he’d win, so instead of searching for a sparring partner, he leaned against a wall and waited for someone to approach him. He stared at the center of the arena, his interest peaking when he saw the familiar figure of Asta walking toward the center. He was accompanied by none other Bah-ha himself.

Ah. So that’s why ponytail man wanted to befriend Asta. He must’ve known there would be a combat portion of the exam. He wanted a weak partner to make himself look good in front of the squad captains. Yuno would say his plan was smart, but the guy had chosen Asta of all people to go up against.

He was gonna get clobbered.

From where he stood, he could see the two facing each other, and the other man leaning down to whisper something in his friend’s ear. Bah-ha then backed away, dropping his nice guy act and smiling sinisterly as he moved away from Asta to gain some distance before the start of the match.

A pit formed in Yuno’s stomach. He decided he hated that man, not only because his face came way too close to Asta’s, but because whatever he had said to Asta made the boy’s eyes harden and his fists clench.

The match starts, and the man fighting Asta immediately casts a spell from his grimoire.

“Bronze Creation Magic: Sekke Magnum Cannonball!” he shouts annoyingly. A blue sphere materialized around the guy. Yuno’s best guess was that it was an advanced defensive spell.

“There’s no need to hold back. Come at me! Bah-ha!” Yuno could tell he was full of it. He was confident Asta would never be able to break his spell and get to him.

“Sure thing. Here I go,” said Asta. His voice was serious, full of conviction.

Asta’s grimoire opened in front of him, a black aura pouring out from the book like a fountain of dry ice. Yuno wasn’t sure if he was imagining it or not, but the silver-haired boy’s surroundings got darker, as if it were already nightfall. Suddenly, Asta’s right foot pivots, breaking the concrete below him as he uses it to kick off into a sprint, using pure physical strength to propel himself forward. The wind rushing through his spiky hair, his left hand reaches behind him, pulling out his giant sword from the pages of his grimoire. The man in the bubble can only say “Huh?” before Asta cuts through his protective ball, hitting the idiot dead on and making huge cracks in the concrete below with the impact of his sword.

Yuno smiled proudly.

After Asta’s fight, nothing interesting happened. Yuno had his own match with a noble named Salim de Hapshass and won almost instantly after using a tornado to dispel his opponent's ball of lightning. (He was also fairly certain he heard Asta say “That was awesome!” in a starstruck voice, but it could have been wishful thinking.)

It was around seven in the evening when the exam finally ended. People were being called up one by one to see if they were accepted into a Magic Knight squad. If a captain raised their hand, they wanted you to join. If multiple captains raised their hands, you could choose which squad you wanted to join.

They were barely on number fifteen when Yuno felt a tiny tug on his sleeve. He turned around, ready to glare at whoever had the _audacity_ to touch him, but was met with the only person who was allowed to.

“Hey, Yuno.”

“Hey, Asta.”

Yuno stared blankly at Asta. He wasn’t sure if the other was still mad at him for the kiss. Asta probably hated him now. Or worse, maybe the other had figured out that Yuno liked him and was ready to reject him.

“Thank you,” Asta said sincerely. The ash-blonde wrapped his arms around Yuno’s waist, hugging him softly for a brief moment before backing away.

“For what?” Yuno asked.

“The good luck kiss! It worked! I won my fight. Plus, I haven’t felt the needles ever since! My temperature hasn’t even gone up! Look!” Asta grabbed Yuno’s hand and pressed it up against his forehead. Sure enough, it was the proper temperature, a little cold even, but Yuno still wasn’t fully convinced.

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yup! Well, besides being nervous, I’m okay. I didn’t do very well on any other test besides the fighting one. I hope I make it into at least one squad. I don’t even care which one it is.” Asta muttered, looking down dejectedly.

“Don’t say that. I’m sure you’ll get into one.”

“I hope so...”

Time slowly ticked by as they stood anxiously waiting for their numbers to be called. Sometime during the fifties or sixties, Asta held onto Yuno’s arm. A lot of candidates had gotten no offers. Yuno knew Asta was extremely worried, but he had faith the other boy would be accepted into a squad. Asta could always do the impossible.

“Candidate number one hundred sixty-four, please step forward.”

Asta nervously walked forward. Above him, there was a balcony where the squad captains were sitting. Nine pairs of eyes were looking down on him, none of them moving to raise their hands.

“Number one hundred sixty-four. No offers.”

“N-No way…”

Asta’s heart stopped beating.

This couldn’t be happening. He had come all this way. He had trained until his arms and legs were numb, until the sun set, just to be here. This was his only path to becoming Wizard King. His whole body was shaking, shivering even though he didn’t feel cold. In fact, he didn’t think he could feel anything at all - just complete numbness.

“You’re a disgrace! Hurry up and move it!” someone yelled hatefully from the crowd.

“Not yet...I’m not done yet! I can’t...” Both of Asta’s fists clenched this time, and he grits his teeth.

“Well, that’s no surprise,” a deep voice says. Asta looks up and sees the muscular man he bumped into earlier, Captain Yami, standing up from his chair. “No matter how high your combat skills are, if the source of your power is unknown, no one wants anything to do with it,” he continues.

“In the end, the only thing desired from a Magic Knight is their magical powers.” Without warning, the captain starts wildly releasing his magic energy, the dark purple aura of his magic engulfing his entire frame. Everyone in the crowd tenses and Asta bites his lip. He heard Yuno let out a small gasp. The man jumped down from the balcony, his eyes trained on Asta.

“And since you have no magical powers, no one wants you. You said earlier that you wanted to become the Wizard King, didn’t you?” The man got closer to him, stopping right in front of the young boy.

“Which means you’re going to surpass the nine captains here, right? Now that I’m standing before you, do you still have the nerve to say that you’re going to be the Wizard King, even without any magical powers?” Yami asked.

Asta was trembling now. The power this man was exerting on him was making it hard to breathe, but he had something to say.

“E-Even if I can’t join the Magic Knights today...No matter how many times I fall, no matter what anyone says to me, I’m still going to become the Wizard King someday!”

The purple aura faded and the man in front of him took a second to look into Asta’s eyes. He always believed they were the windows to the soul, and Yami saw something he liked.

Unwavering determination.

The captain grinned, tilting his head back before he began laughing loudly.

“You’re funny, kid. Join my squad.”

“Eh?”

“I’m telling you that I’ll let you join the Black Bulls. By the way, declining isn’t an option.”

“What?!” Asta screamed.

“I’ll make life so miserable for you in the Black Bulls, you’ll be torn to shreds.” Asta was about to scream again, but he paused as he saw a fond look on the captain’s face.

“And then you’ll become Wizard King.”

Asta’s eyes widened, his mouth opened in awe. This man was giving him a chance to prove himself. To prove everyone that ever doubted him wrong, and Asta would rather cut his arm off with his own sword than give this chance up.

“Yes, sir!” Asta shouts, saluting his captain. The small boy grins in pure joy, bowing to Yami before making his way toward Yuno once more.

“Yuno! I did it! I got into a squad!”

“I told you that you would.” Their conversation is cut short by a call from the balcony.

“Candidate number one hundred sixty-five, step forward.”

Yuno calmly walks up, taking a slight backward glance at Asta before looking ahead. The charcoal haired teenager clutched his pendant and looked up.

Every captain raised their hand.

“I thought only nobles and royalty could join the Golden Dawn!”

“Even the Silver Eagles? Seriously?”

“He’s a kid from the boonies. How is this possible?”

“All of them! That’s amazing! Nothing less from my rival!” Yuno smirked at that one.

Yuno stood there, amidst the gasps and the commotion, thinking carefully about his options. Asta would be going to the Black Bulls, and Yuno would prefer to be around him as much as possible. He knew having Asta by his side would make him feel more comfortable, but Yuno was also presented with the unique opportunity to join the most elite Magic Knight squad there was, the Golden Dawn. Joining the Golden Dawn would also be the best path to becoming the Wizard King.

In the end, there was no competition.

“Please allow me to join the Black-”

A hand gripped his shoulder. Asta was close behind him, his chest almost pressing up against Yuno's back. The small boy tightened his grip.

"Yuno...don't," Asta whispered.

Yuno smiled sadly and placed one of his hands on top of Asta's in understanding. He was a fool to think that Asta would allow him to pass up such a great opportunity. Asta would never let him do that. Still, Yuno couldn't bear the thought of him and Asta going to different squads. He was so used to having the boy with him, he couldn’t imagine what his days would consist of without the ash-blonde ball of sunshine.

But Yuno knew what he had to do. He needed to take his own path, not follow Asta's.

"I'm sorry. Please allow me to join the Golden Dawn."

After every number had been called, and every squad had been chosen, Asta and Yuno stayed back to talk for a little.

"Yuno, our story starts now. I'll make sure I'm at your level someday for sure! I can't believe every captain wanted you on their squad. You're amazing!"

_ So are you,  _ Yuno wanted to say.

"Have fun being a member of the Black Bulls. I think the mascot kind of suits you."

"What does that mean?!"

"Nothing." Yuno paused, looking straight into forest green eyes.

"If you ever need anything, come get me. Understand?"

Asta nodded slowly, his energy more mellow than normal. This was their goodbye. A short one, they both knew, but a goodbye nonetheless. It would be hard adjusting to their new lives, especially after fifteen years of being attached at the hip.

"Okay. I better get going. I don't want to keep my captain waiting." Yuno turned back and began walking away, but a hand tugging his sleeve stopped him.

"Wait! I have to give you something!" Asta said.

Yuno turned around, confused as to what Asta needed to give him. The boy smiled shyly with a soft blush adorning his cheeks. Asta stood on his tippy toes, gently wrapping his arms around Yuno's neck before kissing his cheek.

"Good luck, Yuno."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The ending of this chapter is my favorite part.
> 
> I had a lot of inspiration from people's comments for this one. On one chapter someone commented how it would be so easy for Asta and Yuno to switch places in line and for Yuno to join the Black Bulls with Asta (thank you btw!). I used that idea to show more of Yuno's thought process in this scenario and how, if it was up to him, he would choose to be with Asta. However, my fic is canon compliant for a reason. I want to work around the narrative for Black Clover and use key elements of the plot as hurdles for Yuno and Asta in this fic. That being said, please comment if you enjoy reading! Insightful or positive comments help me figure out chapter ideas and possible plot points. Until next time!


	7. Asta Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asta joins the Black Bulls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there! I'm back. It's been a little over a month. I hope you guys aren't mad. Life is kinda crazy right now, but I hope everyone reading this is doing okay. Enjoy the chapter~

_ They were perched up in the branches of a tall, winding oak tree. _

_ Asta and Yuno had been exploring the nearby fields of Hage when Asta had claimed he “just had to climb it”. The silver-haired boys’ small hands and legs made quick work of maneuvering up the oak, stopping only once he reached the highest branch that wouldn’t give out under his weight. Asta didn’t weigh a lot (they were both only twelve years old), so he made it quite far. Yuno, on the other hand, chose to rest a couple of branches below Asta. He would never admit it, but he harbored an irrational fear of heights when he was younger. _

_ It was a warm summer afternoon, the kind of day where it was the perfect temperature to go outside and bask under the rays of the sun. The distant star was at its highest and shone through the leaves of the oak tree. When Yuno looked up at Asta, he saw how the sunshine created a pattern on his face in the shape of the lobed leaves of the oak. Asta peered down at his companion and giggled. _

_ “Why don’t ya come up here, Yuno?" _

_ “I don’t want to…” _

_ “Are you scared?” _

_ “...” _

_ “That’s okay. I’ll come to you then.” Before Yuno could protest, Asta made his way down the tree to the branch where Yuno was, sitting right next to him. _

_ “You didn’t have to do that.” _

_ “Of course I did. I don’t want to have to keep looking down at you from up there! It hurts my neck. Plus, I’d rather sit next to you. If you don’t want to go high up, then I have to sit with you on one of the lower branches. It’s that easy.” _

_ Yuno knew it would have been easier for Asta to just stay where he was, or pressure Yuno into climbing up a little higher, but he appreciated how Asta knew his boundaries without him ever having to say them aloud. _

_ “It’s really warm out here. I wish there was a breeze or somethin’,” grumbled Asta. _

_ “I could make one if you want,” said Yuno. The offer was nothing more than a nice gesture. Yuno already knew what Asta would say. _

_ “No, that’s okay.” He said the sentence with a tight smile. _

_ Whenever anyone offered to help or do something for Asta with their magic, the little boy always refused. He would show that tight smile which never quite reached his eyes. It was an act of pride for Asta. A statement saying "I don't need your help! I can do it myself!". Yuno had always admired the other boy’s independence. _

_ "Yuno? Hello~? Earth to Yuno?" Asta asked in a teasing manner. He must have spaced out for a while. _

_ "Hm?" Yuno's amber-colored eyes blinked and focused on Asta. _

_ "When I get my soul mark, where do you think it'll be?" Yuno’s eyebrows shot up. The quiet boy usually avoided the topic of magic and soulmates when he was with Asta. Understandably, it made the spiky-haired boy sad and frustrated. It was rare that Asta ever brought up the subject on his own. _

_ ¨Um. I don’t know,” Yuno answered truthfully. _

_ “You have to have some sort of guess! I have one,” Asta said. _

_ “Then tell me yours.” _

_ “I think it’ll be on my face.” _

_ Yuno’s eyes darted toward his best friend's face immediately. "Why do you say that?" _

_ "Don't you remember what the old man said about soul marks?!" _

_ Yuno definitely remembered. Father Orgi was getting harassed by the younger children of the orphanage because they wanted to hear stories about soulmates and true love before it was time for bed. All the children huddled up together on their sleeping mats and listened to him talk about soul marks. _

_ "Where you get your soul mark is very important, little ones. It is believed the location of your mark reveals what kind of bond you create with your special someone, and what they mean to you." _

_ "Huh? What does that even mean?" Nash asked. _

_ "It's best to understand it using an example. Yuno has his mark on his chest, right where his heart is. Just like the symbol, in his case a crown with a three-leaf clover as the center jewel carries meaning, so does the location. Yuno holds his soulmate close to his heart, and the bond they will share will be just as important as the very muscle which keeps him alive." _

_ Yuno's cheeks heat up a little just thinking about Father Orgi's explanation. Why did he have to use Yuno as an example? _

_ "I do…" _

_ "Then think about this! Your face is where people look at you the most. Right?" _

_ "Yeah." _

_ "So when I get my mark it'll be on my face where everyone can see it!" _

_ "Woah. I've never seen anyone with a mark on their face before. Do you really think it'll appear there?" _

_ "I hope it does! I want to show the whole world our bond. I want everyone to know how much I love my soulmate. Even if I don’t know them yet, I just know I’ll love them more than I could ever say in words. I can feel it." _

_ There, during that warm summer afternoon, after a nice breeze finally graced their skin and ruffled their hair, Yuno starred with wide eyes at Asta's brilliant smile and shining eyes. The dreamy, faraway look on his face was mesmerizing, as if he was looking far into the future he would share with said person. It was this moment Yuno realized  _ **_he_ ** _ wanted to be the one Asta looked at with that far off stare and those loving eyes. _

_ The moment he realized he wanted to be Asta's soulmate. _

_________________________________

Asta took a deep breath and prepared himself to open the door. He was in front of the huge entrance which led inside the hideout of the Black Bulls. He had been shocked to see just how tall and big the building was. It had the overall vibe of a haunted house, but considering its size it was probably closer to a mansion. The darkness of the night and eerie glow from the moon probably didn’t help either. Asta was amazed the building was actually standing considering the seemingly random layout of rooms protruding every which way from the main structure. It reminded him of one of the younger kids from the orphanage stacking building blocks haphazardly together and calling it a “house”.

Still, nothing could change how excited Asta was for this. He really made it! He was going to be a real Magic Knight and protect people. He would work harder than he ever had and try to reach his dream. He was extremely nervous, hoping his squadmates would have a good first impression of him. Asta took the two handles of the heavy door and forced it open.

“I’m Asta from Hage village! I’ll be joining the Black Bulls tod-”

A terrifyingly fast ball of fire crashes straight into him, launching him from the entrance to the edge of the surrounding forest. He lands face-first into the dirt.

“Now I’m fucking pissed! You’d better get ready, Luck!”

“Let’s do this!”

“You’re gonna regret eating my steamed buns! DIE!” More explosions, this time in rapid succession. Asta also heard...laughter?

“Ugh. What’s with all the yelling? My head hurts from drinking too much.”

Asta lifts himself up from the ground and brushes some dirt off of himself. He looks at the front of the hideout, fully engulfed in bright flames. Captain Yami chuckles and turns to look at him.

“Welcome to the absolute worst Magic Knights Squad, the Black Bulls.”

_________________________________

After Asta had gone through his “initiation” at the hands of Magna and been introduced to everyone in the squad who was present, he was led to his new room by none other than the fire mage himself. Asta was a little afraid of Magna at first. His harsh demeanor was surprisingly misleading though. He seemed like a cool guy, and Asta had to respect how he was from the boonies too. Asta couldn’t be mad at the person who gave him his Magic Knight robe, even if he did almost kill Asta in the process.

His room was small. It had a desk, chair, and lamp in the left corner. Two horizontal bookshelves, a small cabinet in the corner near the door, and a large window dead center in the far wall. His twin-sized bed had a single pillow and a red blanket on it, with a floating wall shelf above it. There was dust on every surface and more than a few cobwebs are strewn about the confined space.

“Well? Isn’t it depressing how small and filthy this room is? My room is twice as big.” Magna had a playful sneer on his face, clearly trying to get a rise out of Asta or have him complain about his room in some way.

Asta looked up at Magna with a bright smile.

“Are you kidding? I get to have my own room?! In the church, we all slept on floor mats lined up in the same room. This is awesome!” Magna chuckled and looked down at their new member fondly.

“Well, I’ll let you get to cleaning. God knows this place needs it,” he scrunched up his nose for added effect.”You should write letters to them, ya know? Your orphanage I mean. You wouldn’t want them to worry about you. They’re your family after all.”

Asta nodded, grateful for the advice. His smile got wider thinking about all the good news he would be able to tell Sister Lily, Father Orgi, and the kids.

Asta swept, mopped, and dusted until his new room was practically sparkling. It was late, but he was a raging ball of energy. He didn’t feel tired at all.

He felt better than he had in all of his life. He sat at his desk, wrote his first letter home, and turned to look at the full moon through the glass of his window once he finished. He thought about everything that happened during the day which led him to this point and let a satisfied sigh slip through his lips.

Eventually, his thoughts strayed to those of black hair and golden eyes. Asta blushed a mean shade of vermillion as he recalled how he kissed Yuno. It was a simple peck, and Yuno had done the very same thing to him. He didn’t need to be embarrassed about it. The kiss didn’t mean anything. Yuno meant it for good luck and nothing more, and so did he. Asta just wanted to give Yuno a parting gift. There was no other motive behind it.

Or was there?

Asta always thought Yuno was attractive in every sense of the word. He was handsome in an effortlessly elegant way. He had grown up to be more confident in his actions and more sure of himself. He was also smart and insanely strong. There wasn’t anything not to like, but Asta couldn’t think of Yuno like that. He was his rival. They grew up together. Getting feelings for his best friend would make things weird, wouldn’t it? Asta couldn’t let that happen. Their friendship meant the world to him. He couldn’t even think of what his life would be like without Yuno. It scared him more than anything.

Not to mention he still had hope of finding his soulmate. He had no idea how, but Asta couldn’t just give up. It wasn’t in his vocabulary, and he had promised himself he would love his soulmate with all his heart. If he let himself fall for Yuno, Asta knew there was no coming back from it.

He was so relieved after Yuno kissed him and that strange feeling went away. He couldn’t hold Yuno back or selfishly keep the onyx haired boy to himself anymore. Admittedly, it was nice to have an excuse to be near Yuno all the time. He felt safe and calm near the taller boy. Yuno felt like home.

….

Fuck.

Not getting feelings was starting to get really difficult all of a sudden.

Tonight would be the first time in his life he would sleep without Yuno in the same room as him. Asta couldn’t say he liked the thought of it very much.

_________________________________

It was lunchtime the next day when Asta realized the prickling feeling he got without Yuno near was not gone at all. In fact, it was still  _ very _ present and  _ much _ worse.

The Black Bulls were having lunch together in the dining hall after the ruckus the other new recruit, Noelle, had caused. Her magic had gone haywire and engulfed her in a violent sphere of water. Asta had managed to save her with his sword, and damn was he impressed. A little more training to get her aim right and she would be one hell of a Magic Knight.

He was happily shoveling food down his gullet, making casual conversation with everyone at the table. He had asked them all what it meant to be a Magic Knight and got some interesting responses. He was laughing and having a good time when he received a sinking feeling in his stomach. That was all the warning he got before he let out a gut-wrenching scream.

Asta’s hands clutched his Black Bull robe, knuckles going white from how tight his grasp was. Every nerve in his body fired, detecting an overwhelming amount of  _ pain.  _ He didn’t realize he was screaming until everyone at the table looked at him with varying emotions of alarm and concern. The sharp, agonizing pain shooting through his entire body seemed to deafen all other senses. It was a horrible mix of getting stabbed and being engulfed in flames simultaneously.

“What’s wrong with him?!” Noelle.

“I don’t know, but we need to help him!” Magna.

He vaguely registered Vanessa and Gordon helping him stand up from his seat.

“Luck, get Captain Yami! Hurry! We’ll be in the infirmary.” Magna again.

The crackle of lightning and quick footsteps.

Asta could start to feel his body shut down. The pain was getting unbearable, but he had a good idea of what the cause was. With the remaining strength in his body, Asta managed to voice a hoarse whisper to his fellow teammates.

”Golden Dawn...get Yuno.”

There was more yelling, and he thought he heard the captain’s voice for a split second, but before he could try and explain more, his eyelids closed from a particularly intense spike of pain.

Asta lost consciousness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hahahahahaha sorry not sorry. Please comment on your thoughts for this chapter. It's a little bit of a different format and I introduced some important info too. Hope you guys are staying happy and healthy. Love you all :)


	8. Yuno Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuno joins the Golden Dawn and does some late-night research on soulmates.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's right. I'm back with another chapter so soon after posting the last one. Why, you ask? Because I'm bored, inspired, and want you guys to read my writing. I really hope my attempt at fake soulmate science makes sense. I tried my best y'all.

_The creaking of old wooden floorboards makes Yuno groan quietly. Heavy footsteps moving from the opposite end of the room make their way closer to his side, stopping near Yuno’s sleeping mat. From their movement and pace, Yuno could tell exactly who woke him up. He had grown up hearing those footsteps after all._

_“Asta, people are trying to sleep,” Yuno whispered into the darkness. He didn’t want to wake up the children. He refused to open his eyes or sit up to look at Asta. It was the middle of the night. All Yuno wanted to do was drift back to sleep. It wasn’t his fault he was a light sleeper and Asta was loud even when he wasn’t trying to be._

_“I’m sorry. I couldn’t sleep. I thought walking around might help. Go back to bed.” Asta sounded genuinely guilty for waking Yuno up, which he appreciated. Yuno gave up and opened his eyes, ignoring Asta’s command (he was far too awake now to fall back asleep without issue) as well as his heartbeat when the ash-blonde sat next to him on his mat. It had been two years since Yuno realized his feelings for Asta, and they were still going strong._

_“Why can’t you sleep?”_

_“Nightmare…” Asta’s head was lowered, looking at his lap instead of facing Yuno._

_“Do you want to talk about it? You don’t have to if you don’t want to.” Yuno sat up next to his best friend, seeing the skin on his forehead crease. It must have been a really bad dream._

_The honey eyed boy felt a shiver go down his body from the cold winter air circling around the room. Their room had an awful draft which made the freezing January temperatures that much worse._

_“Aren’t you cold?” Yuno asked._

_“I’m okay,” Asta said as his teeth chattered and his body involuntarily shook._

_“Sure you are, tough guy. There’s nothing wrong with asking for help sometimes, Asta.” Yuno picked up his blanket from the mat. He straightened it out, extending it fully before scooting closer to the other boy and wrapping it around both their bodies._

_“Thank you.” Asta still wouldn’t look at him._

_“No problem.”_

_There were a few beats of silence. The only thing Yuno could hear was their soft breathing._

_“Hey, Yuno?” There was a shuffle under the blanket, and suddenly a smaller, more calloused hand was wrapping its fingers around his._

_“Y-yeah?” The dark-haired boy stuttered. Yuno squeezed Asta’s hand once just to convince himself it was real. Asta gave a strong squeeze back. Yuno let out a shaky breath._

_“If I never get magic...what will happen to us, Yuno?” His voice was almost inaudible, and Yuno was sure he wouldn’t have been able to hear it if they weren’t pressed close together from the cold._

_“Nothing. You’ll still be Asta. I’ll still be Yuno.”_

_“What about our promise?”_

_“Would you give up on becoming Wizard King if you don’t get magic?”_

_“No. I guess not. I would never give up trying,” Asta chuckled weakly at himself. No matter how hopeless it was, he knew he could never let their promise go. He would go through hell and back if it meant he could keep his promise to Yuno._

_“Then nothing will change,” Yuno gently placed his free hand on Asta’s thigh below the blanket. He hoped the gesture was as comforting as he intended it to be._

_“In my dream, you became a Magic Knight. You were so cool. You protected kids from a burning building like it was nothing. You were a hero, but I could only watch. I didn’t have a robe. I was just a normal citizen. I wanted to help, but I felt like I would get in your way. But the worst part was when I went to thank you. I tapped you on the shoulder, and when you turned around, you didn’t recognize me. I asked you if you remembered me, and you said no…” This time it was Asta’s turn to let out an unstable breath. The dream was soul-crushing._

_Yuno frowned the more Asta explained his dream. His chest felt heavy._

_“Asta, no matter what happens in the future, I could never forget you.” How could Yuno forget the love of his life? It seemed very unrealistic to him._

_“Promise?”_

_“Promise.” Emerald eyes met his for the first time that night._

_“We should go to sleep,” Asta said, but he moved to rest his head on Yuno’s shoulder, showing no intention of going back to his own mat._

_“We really should,” Yuno let go of Asta’s hand and pulled him closer by the waist. Asta hummed happily from the warmth. The closest thing to magic Asta had ever experienced was the feeling that would fill his chest when he was with Yuno._

_“You mean a lot to me, Yuno.”_

_“You mean a lot to me too, Asta.”_

_________________________________

A castle adorned with beautiful golden pillars and archways. A stone fountain and a beautiful flower garden. Yuno felt very out of place the second he arrived at the Golden Dawn’s base, and it seemed as though he wasn’t welcome either.

“So you’re our new member this year?” A man with white hair pushes up his glasses with his index finger. There’s no chance to answer before another question rolls off the man’s lips, “What’s your name?”

“It’s Yuno.” The man’s tone made it crystal clear he did not like Yuno, even though this was their first time talking. If he had no intention of being friendly, neither did Yuno. It was late and he wanted to rest after the long day he had.

“I’m Klaus Lunettes. You are neither a royal nor a noble, but a peasant from the boonies. What in the world was Captain Vangeance thinking? Don’t think we’re impressed just because all the captains raised their hands for you at the exam. You won’t be accepted as a member of the Golden Dawn that easily.” Ah. So that’s what this was about. Yuno gives Klaus a curt nod.

“I’ll see to it that you accept me soon,” he says sincerely.

Klaus scoffs, turning to walk away. Yuno follows.

They walk silently through the building, eventually reaching what Yuno assumes to be the sleeping quarters. When Klaus opens the door, Yuno has to suppress a gasp. A chandelier hangs from the ceiling, an ornate red rug covering the pristine wooden floor. He has a large, polished, wooden desk and a bed that could fit three people comfortably.

Klaus leaves him alone after he makes a nasty remark about how such a gorgeous room is wasted on the likes of him ( _What a gentleman,_ Yuno thinks). The teenager touches the desk he now owns and looks up at the window just above it. He looks at the moon with a sad smile before getting ready for bed. He was very grateful to be in this squad, but it was clear things would be much different here. This place didn’t quite feel like home.

Yuno can’t help but think it’s because Asta isn’t here with him.

He didn’t realize how dependent he was on Asta until they parted ways. Yuno’s mood was severely affected when they were separated. He was annoyed and angry, especially at all the condescending remarks he got from his squadmates. Usually, he could remain calm and unbothered, but without Asta beside him to keep him grounded that felt impossible.

His body was tired, but he couldn’t sleep. He felt like something was wrong. Like something was missing. He realized eventually it was because Asta wasn’t under the same roof as him, and he would be sleeping alone for the foreseeable future. He let out a frustrated groan and untangled his limbs from the soft blankets wrapped around his body. He might as well do something useful instead of tossing and turning in bed for hours.

While he was walking with the white-haired stick in the mud, they passed by a door with a bronze plate labeled ‘Library’. This was as good a time as any to do some research on soulmates, so Yuno put his shoes back on, grabbed a lantern and went on a midnight adventure to the Golden Dawn’s library.

The room was huge, the bookshelves going on for what seemed like miles. It even had a second floor. Damn, rich people had it good.

Yuno maneuvered carefully through the shelves, looking for a label that would indicate books starting with the letter ‘S’. He had silently made it through the entire lower floor and sighed as he walked up the spiraling staircase to the second floor of the library. Of course, it wasn’t on the first floor. That would be too easy.

A yawn escaped his lips and he rubbed his eyes with his fist. His feet carried on, leading him toward what they deemed was the right direction, following the letters of the alphabet as he finally happened upon the section he was looking for. Yuno entered the aisle, eyes skimming the spines of books, hoping he wouldn’t have to search much longer.

His eyes landed on a rather striking set of hardbacks. They were a bright white color, making them stand out compared to the countless muted black, blue, and green novels surrounding them. The spines didn’t reveal the contents of the book, merely reading the “Scientific Research Journal” with various volumes to choose from. The author was “J.N.”. Before he could think about it, Yuno’s fingers pulled the first book in the set from the shelf and turned it so he could see the front cover.

_The Study of Soulmates._

Yuno turned to the chapter index. It seemed like most of the Journal was a collection of research and case studies voluntarily done on soulmates for a better understanding of the bond and its nature. Yuno felt his eyelids get heavy. He couldn’t read this entire book right now, but after coming all this way to find some useful information, it felt like a waste to leave it for tomorrow. Thankfully, at the bottom of the page, was the page number of the last chapter, which was titled “Conclusion”. Yuno flipped to the designated page.

“ _While all of these cases are fascinating, each revolutionary in their own right, one cannot help but wonder how any of this is important. These are not revolutionary concepts. In fact, they are the exact opposite. The findings published in this journal corroborate our current understanding of soulmates and their connection. Soulmates have matching soul marks, representing their bond. The location of the mark on each of their bodies depends on the feelings each individual harbors for the other._

_As for the bond itself, in the scientific community, the largest accepted conjecture on soulmates is the ‘birthmark’ theory. The birthmark theory has largely replaced the previously accepted notion of soul marks being the result of a child receiving their magic._

_Birthmark theory states that all human beings have their soul mark at birth, and while marks are connected to a person’s magic, marks do not suddenly appear in response to it. It becomes visible due to a predisposed genetic program in human DNA expressing a trait in response to magic. In other words, the mark is present on every human from birth, and human gene code responds to the person’s magic, activating a change in melanin different from one’s skin tone, leaving a visible mark on any skin color the day magic inhabits their body._

_Of course, no theory is a law until more tests can be conducted to prove as such. Further research is being done to uncover how the bond reacts to the other partner’s magic. It was proven that direct contact from someone’s other half to their soul mark makes the mark invisible for as long as the contact remains. The prevailing hypothesis attributes this to corresponding genes simultaneously responding to the soulmate’s magic as well as their own, effectively canceling out the pigmentation._

_Theoretically, if there was a genetic mutation of some kind within a human’s body and it could not receive magic, if birthmark theory was to be scientifically sound, it would stand to reason they would have no outward appearance of a mark, and that only contact with their soulmate in the exact location of their mark would activate the pigmentation necessary for the mark to be visible. It’s also hard to imagine such a mutation having no bodily repercussions since in such a situation a whole sequence of genes is left unactivated when they should not be. However, no such occurrence has ever been documented and is highly unlikely.”_

Yuno wanted to scream. Highly unlikely huh?

Why did fate hate him?

_________________________________

Yuno was Asta's soulmate. He was sure of it. Okay, well maybe not _one hundred percent_ sure, but a solid seventy five percent was good enough for him. 

The thought attacked him as soon as his eyes opened the next day. He woke with a start, heartbeat pounding in his chest as he looked over at his desk. Resting peacefully at its center was the pristine white book he read last night.

Every word of its conclusion had pointed to Asta having a soulmate, and that soulmate being Yuno. Not having a visible soul mark, not feeling well when Yuno was away, suddenly calming down the second Yuno touched him. All of those symptoms must’ve been the result of the “unused genetic code”. If Yuno had to guess, he would say the appearance of Asta’s grimoire, even though he didn’t have magic, was the catalyst for all of this.

Yuno spent the rest of the morning in a weird autopilot mode, letting his body control his actions, while his mind ran through the same thought over and over again.

_Asta was probably his soulmate. Asta was probably his soulmate. Asta was probably his soulmate. Asta was probably his soulmate. Asta was probably his soulmate. Asta was probably his soulmate. Asta was probably his soulmate. Asta was probably his soulmate. Asta was probably his soulmate. Asta was probably his soulmate. Asta was probably his soulmate._

Before he knew it, half the day had gone by. He had brought a sandwich and a green apple back to his room to eat at his desk in peace. He ate quickly, his fingers itching to open the ivory-colored hardback sitting idly on this desk again. His arm reached for it at the same time his door was flung open violently.

An average looking guy with brown wavy hair and a Black Bull’s robe was panting, sweat on his forehead, stress clear in his expression. Captain Vangeance was standing behind him, and even further past his captain was a portal.

“Please help! One of our new teammates, Asta, passed out from pain and isn’t waking up! He asked for you before he went unconscious. Do you know what’s wrong with him?” The man sounded as panicked as Yuno felt hearing him talk. The raven-haired boy sat up so quickly his chair scraped against the floor.

“I do. Take me to him.”

“T-This portal leads straight there. Are you a healer?”

“No, but I’m the only one who can help him. Captain, is it alright if I assist the Black Bulls?”

“Of course.”

Yuno didn’t waste a second more. As soon as he heard the confirmation from his captain, he walked through the portal.

_Please be okay, Asta._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love making characters say 'I love you' without saying 'I love you'. (The end of the flashback lol)
> 
> What did you guys think of my explanation for soul marks? Do you have any questions about it? Theories you had that still fit with the narrative? Feel free to share them all. This is probably the last chapter that will introduce new information on soulmates. Just fluff and soft boy times for the rest of the fic I'm afraid. My plan is to finish this up in two or three more chapters, so don't leave anything unsaid! As always, I love you guys. Stay healthy!


	9. Lucky

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuno becomes an honorary member of the Black Bulls and Asta makes an important realization.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Strap yourselves in folks, this one's gonna be wild.

“So what’s wrong with the shrimp, emo boy?”

“Magna! That’s not very nice. He’s helping us. The least you could do is be respectful and call him by his name.”

“If he doesn’t like it, he can tell me himself. And what do you know about respect, Vanessa? You asked him if he wanted a drink when you were in nothing but your underwear the second he came through the portal!”

“I thought he was old enough!”

“That’s not the point!”

“IF YOU TWO SHIT HEADS DON’T SHUT UP YOU'RE CLEANING THE TOILETS FOR A MONTH!”

That seemed to do the trick. Yuno gave a silent thanks to the Captain of the Black Bulls. Asta’s squadmates were extremely chatty.

Five minutes ago, when Yuno stepped into the portal, coming out on the other end to the sight of Asta on an infirmary bed, skin flushed a nasty shade of red, his mind short-circuited. Worry flooded his veins, taking the feeling straight to his heart and circulating it throughout his entire body. Much like in his squad’s library the previous night, his body was moving on its own before his mind could even begin to react.

His legs brought him to the side of his best friend’s bed. This was when the women with wavy pink hair offered him a drink, but he was too busy listening to the hammering beat of his heart in his own ears to give her a response.

He kneeled down next to the bedridden boy, clutching a limp hand in his own and using the other to cup Asta’s cheek fondly. He was way too warm. There was a damp washcloth on his forehead, but Yuno imagined it wasn’t doing a lot to help.

“You idiot...can't even go a day without me,” Yuno whispered sarcastically. This wasn’t how he wanted to see the other again. He would much rather suffer months of not seeing Asta if it meant he would be his happy, healthy self.

Yuno stayed in the same position while the Bulls yelled and hollered at one another. Asta’s skin color seemed to slowly be going back to normal along with his temperature. It might take some time, but he would be okay.

He would be okay as long as Yuno was by his side.

“Want to explain what’s wrong with him now or are you expecting us to just guess? Who are you to Asta?” Captain Yami suddenly asked.

Yuno’s eyes didn’t move from Asta for even a second. He didn’t even try to make eye contact with the man towering behind him, watching him act so affectionately with their newest recruit.

“I’m his soulmate.”

The amount of shock on each of the member’s faces was comical, to say the least.

“HUUUUUUUUHH?” Yuno looked down at his and Asta’s joined hands in a weird moment of shyness.

“Yeah...he doesn’t really know it yet though.”

“HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUH?!” Okay, Yuno should have expected that. He supposed an explanation was in order.

“Asta doesn’t have a visible mark because he doesn’t have magic. He still has one though, and he doesn’t have any idea about it. I did some research on my own and figured it out from there,” Yuno summarized. His tone left little room for argument, but the Bulls were nothing if not stubborn.

“That doesn’t make any sense!” the one with glasses and piercings (Magna? Was that what the others referred to him as?) shouted with a clenched fist.

“It actually makes a lot of sense, if you take a second to think about it. It’s quite literally the only explanation that makes sense,” Yuno replied.

Magna let out a tiny growl at the Golden Dawn rookie, but thankfully he shut up after that.

“Wait a second, Stupista doesn’t know you’re soulmates yet? Why haven’t you told him? Does this happen every time you guys are apart?” a girl with long silver hair asked. Yuno thought she resembled the captain of the Silver Eagles, Noezelle Silva, and the raven-haired boy wondered briefly whether they were related or not. However, he didn’t voice his conjecture.

“I only realized it recently. Yesterday night, actually. This is the first time we’ve been separated like this. We grew up together, and we’re always around each other. It’s never been an issue before, but once he got his grimoire, he would get like this if I wasn’t near him. It’s how his body responds because he has no magic but still has a mark. I guess since I was so far away this time, the effects became worse.”

“But he was just fine all of last night and this morning,” a short boy with blond hair pointed out.

“I thought his symptoms had gone away when I left him. He told me he felt fine, and I just assumed it went away. If I knew it hadn’t I would have joined the Black Bulls along with him so that something like this wouldn’t happen,” Yuno admitted. His hands bunched up around the fitted bed sheet Asta was laying on. Why did he listen to the idiot? If he had joined the Black Bulls instead of the Golden Dawn this would have never happened. Asta wouldn’t be suffering like this.

A calm silence came over the room. The members strewn about the small space looked at each other and all collectively agreed on something. Anyone who would willingly join the worst Magic Knight squad (especially when they had the skill to join the Golden Dawn) to protect their soulmate wasn’t someone who would hurt their squadmate. The simple confession was all the confirmation the Bulls needed to know that this boy was telling the truth.

“Hey, what’s your name kid?” Captain Yami asked as he casually cracked open a window and lit a cigarette.

“Yuno.” Although Yuno didn’t see it, the Captain’s lips turned upwards the slightest bit around the end of his cigarette as he lifted it to his mouth.

“Alright then, Yuno, as an honorary member of the Black Bulls, you and Asta have our blessing. Got any idea on how you’re gonna tell the brat you love him?”

This time it was Yuno’s turn to sputter in shock.

_________________________________

Several hours later, only two souls resided in the infirmary, both of them laying together on the cramped bed. Asta’s fellow squadmates had long since left the two alone, either to sleep or give them space. They had quite an interesting discussion earlier, and Yuno had a solid plan for how he was going to confess to Asta. He smiled at the thought of it. It was romantic, special, and all he had ever dreamed of.

The platinum blonde hadn’t woken up yet, but his skin tone and temperature had both gone back to normal. Yuno joined Asta on the bed as soon as the two were the only ones in the room. The golden-eyed boy talked himself into it on the premise of him having to be close to Asta, and that having more physical contact with him might help the boy recover faster.

While it was a decent reason not outside the realm of possibility, Yuno just wanted to hold Asta in his arms. He wanted to lay his head on Asta’s muscular chest and hear the calming beats of his loved one’s heart. He wanted, more than anything, to make sure Asta was  _ okay _ .

The fear he felt when he heard about Asta’s condition had damn near given him a heart attack, and he still hadn’t fully gotten rid of the terrifying emotion. Being close to Asta, being close to his  _ soulmate  _ was the only way he could feel at peace right now.

It still didn’t feel real to refer to Asta as his soulmate, even in his head. After all these years of pining, and trying to suppress his feelings, letting them out felt  _ so good _ . He knew now. He knew without a doubt in his heart, Asta was the person he was meant to be with. Yuno’s arms tightened around the smaller boy’s body, pulling him in close to Yuno’s chest. His head, just like in their last night of travel to the Royal Capital, landed right on top of Yuno’s soul mark, with his cheek pressing into it. This was the type of closeness he had always craved.

But something felt different this time. Yuno sucked in a harsh breath as his body felt like it was vibrating with an unknown feeling. The sensation didn’t last long however, as Asta began to regain consciousness, tilting his head so his cheek was no longer resting on his chest. Instead, his head turned upright and Asta propped his chin on the raven-haired boy’s chest to peer up at him.

“Y-Yuno?” he croaked. Big, green eyes blinked up at him, trying to focus in the dark. It was so late that Yuno had turned off the lights long ago, and the only thing illuminating the room was moonlight. The taller boy wondered how Asta recognized him if he couldn’t quite see him yet.

“Yeah. It’s me.” Yuno placed his hand delicately on top of Asta’s head, running his fingers through the other’s thick, soft hair. To his surprise, Asta didn’t comment on it or try to stop him. Instead, he hummed softly, leaning into the touch, content. They stayed like that for a while, enjoying the closeness of one another silently until Asta spoke again.

“I didn’t sleep well last night.”

“So did I.”

“I missed you.”

“So did I.”

“I wished you were with me.”

“So did I.”

“What the hell is wrong with us, Yuno? Why can’t we be apart for even a day?” His last question was muffled as he buried his face in Yuno’s chest. Yuno found the gesture incredibly endearing.

“I don’t think we were ever meant to be.”

“What do ya mean?”

“We’ve been together since we were kids. It was stupid to think we could be apart without missing each other, and your condition certainly doesn’t help.” Asta let out a frustrated groan.

“This sucks! I feel so helpless. It must be a pain having to be around me all the time…”

“Asta, look at me,” Yuno commanded. Asta did as he was told.

“You aren’t a burden. I don’t care about having to spend all my time with you because I’d want to be with you regardless. I feel just as helpless. I wasn’t there when you needed me and since we’re in different squads I can’t look after you like I’m used to. But I know you can protect yourself, and I trust your teammates to watch your back for me. I actually talked with all of them, and we think there’s a way to make sure something like this doesn’t happen again.”

“There is?!”

“Yeah, it’ll take a few days to be ready, but I’ll take care of it.”

“Yuno…”

“Yeah?”

“How did I ever get so lucky? To have someone like you by my side my entire life?” Yuno didn’t give Asta a direct answer.

Yuno sat up on the bed and watched as Asta did the same after his position on top of the other’s chest was compromised. They sat cross-legged in front of each other with Yuno’s back facing the headboard of the bed, and Asta’s facing the door to the infirmary. Yuno leaned forward slowly, making eye contact with his best friend. He was ready for them to be something more. He just hoped Asta was too.

“Can I kiss you?” he whispered softly. Asta felt his breath on his skin, warm and inviting. How could he possibly say no?

“Yeah,” Asta responded before he could let fear or embarrassment take over. He was done trying to hide his feelings. He was over trying to ignore how Yuno made him feel. He was done being afraid of his feelings ruining their friendship.

Yuno closed the gap between their lips.

It was a soft kiss at first, a shy reminder that neither of them had done this before and were slowly trying to figure things out. Eventually, it turned into something much firmer, filled with years of pent up emotions and thoughts of three unspoken words. Asta wrapped his arms around Yuno’s neck. Yuno’s hands held on to Asta’s waist. Whenever their lack of steady breathing overwhelmed them, they broke apart, only to slot their tinted red lips together again after just a few seconds. The feelings rising in both of their chests were impossible not to chase, and neither of them was ready to stop so soon after they  _ finally  _ had the chance to start.

It was sometime during this cycle, his lips pressed against Yuno’s in a wonderful type of song and dance, that Asta truly allowed himself to admit the one thing he had tried to keep a secret, even from himself.

He loved Yuno.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :DDDDDDDDD
> 
> Gimme all your reactions in the comments y'all


	10. Fate, Not Luck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asta finds out who his soulmate is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it. The final chapter. I'm so sad it's ending, but I had a lot of fun writing this. I'm so proud of it, and I think you will all be happy with the quality.
> 
> Before you read, I want to tell you guys that I made an Instagram page dedicated to talking to you guys and involving you more with my future writing. Please check it out if you plan on reading any of my future Black Clover works. My username is: natsa.fics
> 
> Please enjoy the finale!

_The captain of the Black Bulls let out a guffaw after seeing how the teenager in front of him struggled to form a coherent sentence. The boy’s shyness was proof enough that he had hit the nail on the head with his comment. What was with brats nowadays? The guy had literally walked into the Bulls’ base and announced him and the shrimp were soulmates. Why was he getting flustered now?_

_“Come on captain, give the poor guy a break. If he doesn’t want to talk about it, that’s his business. I’m Vanessa by the way. Sorry for offering you alcohol, it’ll have to wait a couple of years,” the woman with pink hair, Vanessa, said with a warm smile. Yuno felt himself calm down from her comforting presence, almost like that of a kind older sibling._

_Vanessa used the small moment of calm to introduce all of the members of Asta’s squad. There were a handful of mages absent from the room for one reason or another, but even then she mentioned them by name in case Yuno ever ran into them. He appreciated the thoughtful gesture._

_After introductions were out of the way, Yuno brought up their previous conversation._

_“Um...I was wondering if you guys had any advice on how to c-confess.” Damn it all. Yuno didn’t mean to stutter. He was better than this god damn it! To be fair, he had very little experience talking to anyone who wasn’t part of his family back at the orphanage and even less expressing his feelings._

_“What do you mean? Just tell him you're his soulmate!” Luck said cheerfully with his head tilted to one side._

_“I’m sure Yuno wants something a little more special, Luck,” Vanessa responded._

_“Oh. I guess it was different for me and Magna. We just fought each other until our clothes got torn and we saw our marks.”_

_“You two are soulmates?” Yuno asked, intrigued. Was he just oblivious or did they not express their relationship outwardly? He tried to think of anything that would have tipped him off, but he drew a blank. Apparently he wasn’t the only one in the dark, because the other new recruit from the Black Bulls, Noelle, stomped her foot indignantly._

_“What?! How come you guys didn’t tell us?” she huffed._

_“People aren’t always so quick to accept same-sex soulmates. We were just being cautious,” said Magna. He turned his head away from the girl’s questioning stare and toward Luck, but his eyes were downturned. “It wasn’t like we were trying to hide anything…”_

_Finral, who had been fairly quiet during the conversation, spoke up to lighten the mood. “Don’t think much of it, Noelle. Those two probably punch each other more than they hold hands. It’s just how they are. They aren’t very conventionally affectionate. Well, except for that one thing Luck does.”_

_“What thing?” Noelle asked innocently._

_“This!” shouted Luck. His mouth morphed into an ear-splitting grin which was borderline psychotic. In the blink of an eye, the bright-haired blonde crossed the tiny room, blue lightning leading straight to Magna. Yuno watched as Luck appeared in front of his target and planted a chaste kiss right on Magna’s lips. It would have been really sweet if Magna didn’t shriek at the electricity Luck sent through his body. His hair extended out and spiked up all around his head, and Luck was rolling around on the floor, laughing so hard his eyes started tearing up. Magna just covered his face with this hand in embarrassment._

_That was the third time this week._

_Yuno smiled at the pure absurdity of the situation. This squad was something else._

_“I can guarantee these idiots won’t have any good advice to give you. You should just go with your gut,” Yami said to Yuno, puffing smoke out the open window._

_“My gut tells me that I need to figure out how Asta and I can be separated from each other without the possibility of him falling into a coma again first.”_

_“What made Asta able to be away from you yesterday?” The Silva royal asked curiously._

_“I may have kissed his cheek during the Entrance Exam,” Yuno said quietly._

_“Wow Romeo, what a power move,” Magna said sarcastically. His hair was still a mess, and he was now sitting on the floor next to Luck, who was still laughing. Yuno gave him a deadpan stare in return, but as Magna fumbled with his hair to try and get it back to normal, the gears in Yuno’s head turned furiously. An imaginary lightbulb lit up above his dark head of hair as he was suddenly struck with an epiphany._

_“I think I know why that kiss worked. I have to be close to Asta because my magic is what helps him recover. It works the same way as what Luck did just now. The kiss must have sent a wave of my magic through his body and it was enough for him to go without touching me for about a day. Is there any way he can be in contact with my magic without me actually having to be present?”_

_“A magic item could probably do that. If it was infused with your magic, all Asta would have to do is wear it. I know a talented craftsman who is perfect for the job. Just tell me what you want and I’ll make sure he can get it to you within the week,” Vanessa offered._

_“I would love that, but I haven’t gone on any missions yet. I don’t want to risk leaving Asta to go on one and make money. I wouldn’t be able to pay for it.”_

_“I’ll pay for it,” said the silver-haired girl. “Money is nothing for royalty like me. I can’t have Shrimpsta faint in the middle of a mission or something.”_

_“You don’t have to-”_

_“Don’t get me wrong. It isn’t free.”_

_“What’s your price?” Yuno questioned. He already said he didn’t have any money._

_“I get to be a bridesmaid at your wedding.”_

_“But there won’t be a bride,” Finral pointed out._

_“The best man then.”_

_“But you aren’t a man!” Magna yelled._

_“I’m royalty. I can be whatever I want.”_

_“Deal,” said Yuno._

_Noelle smiled gleefully and clapped her hands together in joy, sticking out her tongue to tease Magna who kept muttering how this was “totally unfair” and how “rich people suck”. Yuno couldn’t help the small chuckle that escaped his lips._

_It looks like he was getting a ring._

___________________________________

Things were a little different for Asta and Yuno after their late-night makeout session.

A line in their relationship was crossed that night in the best possible way. While he recovered fully, Asta wasn’t allowed to be away from Yuno for more than a few minutes at a time. Usually, it was just to go to the bathroom or shower because he honestly didn’t want to spend time away from Yuno. He was also slightly terrified of going through the excruciating pain Yuno’s last absence had brought again.

Before he would leave, Yuno would always give him a soft kiss. After they would separate, when Asta opened his eyes, honey-colored ones would stare back at him with the fondest expression Asta had ever seen on the boy’s face.

Bathroom breaks became Asta’s favorite part of the day.

The other parts of his days were awfully mundane. He wasn’t allowed to train or do anything fun, so he’s just been passing the time by talking and cuddling with Yuno. The Golden Dawn member had briefly gone back to his team’s hideout to report back to his captain and ask for an extended stay, which Captain Vangeance graciously granted.

Yuno had also explained to the green-eyed boy how his magic soothed Asta, and that’s why Yuno had to be around him. Asta asked him why he needed Yuno’s magic specifically, but Yuno just dodged the question and said “I’ll tell you later. I promise,” and that was good enough for Asta. 

During his stay, Yuno had made himself at home in the Black Bulls hideout. It was always loud and full of energy, much different than the cold atmosphere he experienced at the Golden Dawn. When Asta heard about Yuno’s less than friendly introduction to his squad, he frowned. They were in Asta’s bedroom (the blonde didn’t want to stay in the infirmary), with Asta sitting up, legs crossed, and Yuno’s head resting in his lap. Asta looked down into Yuno’s eyes, toying with a strand of his soft hair.

“I’m sure you can make some friends in the Golden Dawn. Since it’s all royalty, people like us gotta work ten times harder to get acknowledged by them. But I know you can do it! It might take a while, but you’re amazing. If they can’t see that, then they don’t deserve to be friends with you anyway!” Asta said, smiling as his words seemed to resonate with the boy on his lap.

“You’re horrible for my ego, Asta,” he had said. Asta just shrugged and bent down to give Yuno a kiss. Yuno denied it later, but he let out a giggle at the feeling of the strange upside-down kiss.

The past five days were spent like that. Interesting moments were sprinkled in throughout the days, such as finding out Magna and Luck were soulmates. He was late to the party because of his coma, and even Yuno knew before he did. Regardless, he was happy for them. It reminded him about how special soulmates and the bond they shared was.

He had always been so sure he had no soulmate. He had resigned himself to that truth for fifteen years, desperately hoping for some kind of miracle to prove him wrong. The night he got his grimoire was the first time since he was a kid that he allowed hope to run wild inside his heart. His bare body had brought him back to reality. He was born with nothing, including no soulmate.

But was that really true? While he wasn’t born with much, only a piece of paper to indicate what his name was and a blanket to keep his tiny body warm, someone has always been with him since he was abandoned.

Asta did not have money. Asta did not have social status. Asta did not have magic. Asta did not have a soul mark. Hell, he didn’t even have parents as far as he was concerned, Father Orgi excluded. Fate had decided to block him off from every possible avenue for a fulfilling, successful life.

Asta was born with nothing. Nothing but Yuno.

Yuno was beside him from the very beginning. They were raised side by side, never separated from each other. They had spent their childhoods playing in the forests surrounding Hage, smiling and running innocently through grass or snow. Yuno was his reason for fighting. His reason for wanting to prove that even people like them could get far in a world like this. Magic was not everything in this world.

Because regardless of being born without a single ounce of magic in his body, he still met Yuno. He still had an amazing childhood, filled with people he loved dearly, and for that, he was eternally grateful. If the universe didn’t want to give him a soul mate that was fine by him.

He already had someone in his heart anyway.

Still, he couldn’t help but think of how nice it would be to wake up one day and find a black tattoo of a crown with a three-leaf clover on the center spike somewhere on his skin.

___________________________________

On the fifth day of recovery, things got weird.

The morning started off normally. He woke up curled up under his blanket next to Yuno in his small bed. His head was resting on the taller boy’s chest, using it as a pillow. From there he could see how Yuno’s legs dangled the tiniest bit from the foot of the bed. Asta’s lips curled up into a stupidly triumphant smirk. That’s what Yuno gets for being tall.

Yuno woke up not long after, and once they made the bed (Yuno insisted they had to fix it every morning) Asta went to take his morning pee break. Yuno kissed him before he left, as usual, then told Asta to meet him in the kitchen where he would be grabbing them breakfast.

Asta left to take his leak and moved slowly toward the kitchen afterward. His mind was still foggy from sleep, and he was about to round the corner into the kitchen when he heard voices talking and stopped.

“Yuno! It’s ready! I went into town early this morning to pick it up! Here, take a look.” There was a clicking sound of something opening.

“It’s beautiful. Exactly what I had in mind. You really didn’t have to do all of this, Vanessa.”

“Nonsense! I’m happy to help. This is all so romantic. Make sure you hide it well.” Romantic? Hiding? What was she talking about?

“I will. The place you guys mentioned is east of the base right?”

“Yeah. You can’t miss it. I’ll pull out a broom from storage for you to use. You could technically walk, but I don’t recommend it.”

“Thank you, really. You’ve been a big help.”

“We’re all rooting for you two in our own ways.”

Asta’s nose crinkled in confusion. What was going on? The platinum blonde decided he had eavesdropped enough, and came through the corner as though he had just gotten there.

“Oh. Hey, Asta.” Yuno said as soon as he saw the other. There was no sign as to what Vanessa had presumably handed over to him. He gave Asta one of those rare, innocent, shining smiles that filled Asta’s stomach with butterflies. He had meant to ask Yuno what he was talking about, but the antimagic user was suddenly rendered speechless.

“H-Hey,” Asta managed to stutter out.

“Something wrong?”

Asta rubbed the sleep from one of his eyes and yawned, feigning his reaction as leftover sleepiness. “M’fine,” he mumbled, face tinged pink. Even something as small as Yuno’s smile got Asta worked up.

Thankfully, Yuno was busy grabbing their plates of food and setting them down on one of the benches. It was still fairly early, so the only ones to keep them company were Vanessa and Miss Charmy.

When he saw what was on the menu this morning, Asta’s eyes went wide in delight.

“Fluffy pancakes!” he shouted happily. Usually, they had some combination of meat and bread, and while that was also the case today, plate decorated with a warm stack of huge pancakes, two sunny side up eggs, and four strips of perfectly cooked bacon, it was very special. Asta had never had fluffy pancakes, and his mouth watered just looking at them. As soon as Yuno placed his plate in front of him, Asta dug in without reserve.

In the middle of bites, mouth grossly full of food while talking, Asta asked, "Did you make this, Miss Charmy?”

“Of course, la~,” she responded. Her fork was raised and she took a bite of her fluffy, pillowy soft creation, making happy munching sounds along the way.

“It’s delicious! What’s the occasion?” he asked.

“A-Ah! Nothing. I was just testing a new recipe, la~,” her eyes flickered nervously toward Yuno and Vanessa. It seemed like whatever those two were hiding, Charmy was also in on. Asta’s eyes went straight to honey-colored ones. Yuno gave him a nervous smile.

“Keep eating your food before it starts getting cold, babe.”

Just like that, all the questions Asta was thinking of asking left his tiny bird brain, replaced only with the sound of Yuno calling him “babe” over and over again.

He also may have totally choked on his food, but he didn’t want to talk about that.

_________________________________

“Asta, do you want to go out somewhere for lunch?”

“Huh?” the blonde asked dumbly. Yuno was running his fingers through his hair while they sat cuddled on the couch in the common room. Needless to say, he was a little distracted.

“There’s this waterfall near the base that’s supposed to be really pretty. I thought maybe we could take a swim and walk around before having a picnic. You haven’t been able to do much since the start of the week.”

“You’re right. That sounds like fun,” he nodded.

“Okay. I’ll be right back.” Before Asta could protest, Yuno kissed his cheek and practically sprinted down the hall. As quickly as he left, he came back. A wicker basket was in his left hand and a broom was in his right. He nodded toward the door, eyes lit up with some emotion Asta couldn’t pin down.

Shaking his head at how Yuno looked like an overly excited puppy, Asta walked to the entrance of the base and held out the door for Yuno to pass through. The raven-haired boy gave a thank you before dropping the broom on the grass just outside of the doors.

“I like to ride standing up. Think you can hold on?” Yuno asked.

Asta gave him a few confident nods in confirmation before balancing his feet on the handle, settling behind Yuno and holding on firmly to the taller boy’s waist. His cheek was pressed up against Yuno’s back as they slowly started their ascent from the ground. Asta’s eyes closed instinctively at the unfamiliar feeling. He never did manage to learn how to fly a broom after all.

While he couldn’t see directly in front of them, when Asta opened his eyes, he could see the lush, dark green of forest tree leaves to his right. The trees got smaller and smaller the farther Yuno lifted them from the ground, and Asta couldn’t help but gasp when they moved forward through the air. The wind was whipping past Asta’s ears faster than he could think. All he could do was marvel at the sensation of flying through the air while cruising past a flock of birds coming from the trees below.

It was all so breathtaking. He smiled faintly into Yuno’s back, relishing the feeling of his hair swirling wildly around his head. With the wind blowing past Yuno, and Asta’s face pressed against him, the ash-blonde caught a trace of Yuno’s calming scent. He smelled like pine trees.

Asta really liked it.

A content hum rumbled at the base of Asta’s throat and he wondered if Yuno could feel it. They moved silently ahead, Yuno acting as the perfect pilot and giving his full concentration to making sure Asta was safe in the air. Ten minutes passed by peacefully when Asta felt his body descend toward the ground. He gave a small sigh of disappointment, wishing the ride lasted just a little bit longer to prolong the wonderful feeling it gave him.

“We’re here. What do you think?” Yuno asked. The airy quality of his voice gave away just how amazed he was with their location, even though he tried to play it cool with his question.

“ _Wow_ ,” was all Asta managed to say aloud.

The blonde’s head turned left and right in awe. He even spun around to let his eyes soak in the full view of the beautiful landscape surrounding them. Deciduous trees of various shapes and sizes enclosed the open field the pair landed in. The clearing itself was home to tall, unruly grass that came up past Asta’s knees and vibrantly colored flowers. Asta recognized the yellow dandelions, the deep purple of the violets, and the white petals of the daisies, but there were also pink and blue flowers he didn’t know the names of scattered about, drawing his eye.

While the field was stunning, the foreground of the picture was nothing compared to the background. Where the field ended, smooth rocks appeared, making a misshapen circle around an enormous pool of water caused by the rushing waterfall above it. The rushing water fell from at least a thirty-foot drop before splashing into the basin below. The water itself was bright turquoise, looking even clearer than the cloudless sky above them.

Without thinking, the Black Bulls member rushed up to the edge of the field and hopped on top of one of the dark rocks circling the pool of water. His running disturbed some of the white dandelions in the field, causing their parachute shaped seeds to spread in a cloud following the air current. He paused to admire the waterfall in all its glory from up close and turned back to Yuno, excitement shining in his emerald orbs.

“Oh my god! This place is so cool!”

“Yeah, it really is,” Yuno said, the indiscernible look on his face making an appearance once again. “What do you want to do first?”

“I’m not too hungry yet. I say we go for a swim.”

Asta didn’t wait for Yuno to respond. He stripped down to his underwear in under twenty seconds flat, tossing his clothes to the safety of the dry flower field. In nothing but black boxer shorts, the boy dashed the rest of the way to the edge of the rocks before cannonballing his body into surprisingly warm water.

“Come on in, Yuno! The water’s great!”

The taller boy graced him with a smirk and a tiny shake of the head, probably thinking something along the lines of “ _typical Asta_ ” before calmly taking his clothes off to get into the water. Asta swam around a bit, but couldn’t focus long enough to fully move through the water. No matter how hard he tried to look away, his eyes were glued to Yuno and his now bare chest.

Asta had seen Yuno’s body many times before. They had taken baths together as kids all the time, and he would see the ebony-haired boy in nothing but a loosely wrapped towel every time he left the bathroom after a shower.

Somehow, this felt different.

This time Asta’s eyes roamed freely around the whole of Yuno’s exposed body. His shoulders were broad, his collarbone well defined. His chest was full of lean muscle, his black soul mark on full display right where the apex of his heart would be. Dark gray boxers framed his slim waist, just as threadbare and worn out as his own black pair. His thighs curved pleasantly down to his long legs, and Asta couldn’t help but be the slightest bit jealous. Yuno was tall, dark-haired, and handsome. He looked _unreal_.

As soon as long, deft fingers removed the socks and shoes imprisoning the boy’s feet, Yuno gave him a devilish smile, making direct eye contact with Asta. The blonde stopped his lame excuse for swimming, enchanted by the mischievous look on the face of his friend of fifteen years.

It was a lethal mistake.

His stupor allowed Yuno to launch himself into the water in a way similar to what Asta had done. Yuno’s body landed directly in front of Asta, the entire front side of his body doused in water. He let out an embarrassing squawk of surprise followed closely by a fit of laughter.

“It’s on now, Yuno!”

They spent a good while chasing each other in the basin, splashing each other constantly in between well-timed swim escapes or dives underwater to avoid the other’s attacks. Their laughter filled the space just as much as the constant sound of the waterfall’s rushing water. Asta’s smile only seemed to grow as each second passed. Hearing Yuno’s rare laughter was a treat unlike any other.

Eventually, they moved closer to the waterfall. Asta extended a hand out into the falling water, wanting simply to feel it hit his skin.

“How does it feel?” Yuno asked.

“Nice,” Asta responded with a content smile. Unbeknownst to him, his action made Yuno’s gut fill with want. He had been nearly unable to control himself seeing his soulmate nearly naked, all strong muscle and dazzling smiles. 

“Asta, what are we?” Yuno asked out of nowhere. The boy in question tilted his head in confusion.

“What do you mean?”

“Our relationship. I guess a better question is - what do you want us to be? How do you feel about me?” Yuno’s face was dead serious. His gaze pierced right through Asta’s soul, trapping him in a deadlock.

“H-How I feel about you…?” Asta’s cheeks suddenly felt hot, and he looked down at the water below him, unable to look Yuno in the eye. He had realized his feelings only recently, and having to confess them to Yuno so soon set his heart into overdrive. Asta wondered if his “condition” was acting up again, but dismissed it, reminding himself of all the close contact he’s had with Yuno all throughout the day. This didn’t help him become any less embarrassed. In fact, his blush spread all the way to his ears thinking of how close he was with Yuno now, and how much closer he wanted them to become.

His shyness must have not translated well however, because the next words that tumbled from Yuno’s mouth were _devastating._

“So...you don’t feel the same way?” Yuno’s voice was quiet, empty of any of its previous joy.

Asta’s head jerked up instantly.

“No! That’s not-”

“I get it. I understand completely.” Yuno’s eyes looked hollow. He didn’t look like he was listening to Asta at all.

“Yuno I-”

“You don’t have to say it. It was stupid of me to assume you felt the same way. I guess I just got too caught up in trying to help that I didn’t realize you might not want me like that,” he rambled.

“If you would just let me talk-”

“It just felt so nice to kiss you and hold you. I’m so sorry I didn’t ask you if you were okay with it. I was probably forcing myself on you, wasn’t I? I just wanted to be with you so badly. I’ve wanted to be with you for _years_ , but I could never find the courage to tell you. Then all of this happened. When they told me you were in a coma I was terrified that I had lost you. That I lost my chance to tell you that I love you-”

Whatever words were going to follow afterward were lost, suffocated by a pair of warm, soft lips covering Yuno’s.

Asta’s solid chest bumped into his at his sudden lurch forward in the water. Muscled arms wrapped around his neck so as to reach the taller boy’s mouth with more ease. The kiss was desperate and pleading. It was also entirely too short for Yuno’s liking. When Asta pulled away, Yuno chased his lips for a second. His body seemed to fully understand how much he _needed_ the other right now.

“Please listen this time.”

Yuno was all ears.

“You call me an idiot, but what about you?! If I didn’t want you to kiss me I would have said something! I wanted every second of it, and if I’m being honest, I want so much more. Yuno, ever since this whole thing started, I’ve been having all kinds of feelings I thought I shouldn’t. We’ve always been friends, and I was terrified to cross that line. I was dumb too, and I thought saying something would ruin what we had. I couldn’t stand the idea of it. But when I woke up after that awful pain, you were right there with me. When we kissed, I realized everything you meant to me, and how I feel about you.”

“Which is…?”

“I love you, and I want to be with you no matter what. If I’m the only one in the world without a soulmate, then I’m the only one in the world that can choose who they want to be with without guilt. That’s what you said the night we got our grimoires.”

“I did say that, but now that I think about it, the bond soulmates share is much more special.” Asta flinched violently away from Yuno. What was he saying? Was he choosing his soulmate over Asta? What about his confession?

Yuno quickly grabbed Asta’s hands in his own. He held them tightly, almost as if he were nervous about something.

“Do you trust me?” Yuno asked. His golden eyes again met jade ones, and the sheer intensity of the gaze made Asta pause in this thinking.

“With all my heart,” he answered truthfully.

The scene that followed was like something out of a movie. One of Yuno’s hands left the blonde’s, reaching out to hold Asta’s chin in place. Soon enough, the hand moved to caress the left side of his face. Wet fingers traced Asta’s skin with a delicate touch. When the other got to his forehead, he moved stray, soaked strands of hair away from Asta’s head gingerly. A single finger trailed down his nose and booped it sweetly before moving to the right side of his face. Yuno’s hand cupped Asta’s right cheek, thumb sweeping below his eye in one smooth motion.

Asta forgot how to breathe.

Yuno’s breath hitched.

From the corner of his eye, Asta saw a dark glow coming from the top of his cheek. It was like a light, but black. When he looked down at his and Yuno’s reflection in the crystal clear water, his heart stopped beating.

Right below his right eye rested the mark of a clover crown.

His mind took a second to catch up to what he was seeing, but as soon as it did, tears he promised himself he would never shed started pouring down his face like the water from the ledge behind them.

Yuno was in a similar state, eyes glistening with unshed tears. A few managed to escape, but unlike Asta, who was fully sobbing at this point, Yuno managed to remain silent, offering his comforting presence and a kiss on the forehead to the boy in front of him.

His soulmate.

Asta had to aggressively wipe the tears from his eyes to keep looking at his reflection in the water. He had to be sure. He had to keep looking at it or else it would go away. He had to make sure this wasn’t some cruel dream he had made up for himself.

“H-How?” Asta choked out, still in disbelief.

“Since you have no magic, your mark didn’t manifest, but it was always there. It reacts to my magic because of our bond, and it appears if I touch exactly where it is. It will disappear as soon as I stop touching it. The only reason I knew it was on your face was because of what you told me when we were kids. I guess you really do want to show me off to the whole world,” Yuno said.

Asta’s head was reeling, and his body felt strange. He felt warm, but it was a pleasant warmth, like that of a blanket or a cozy fireplace. His body felt a tingling sensation, but instead of the sharp pain of needles digging into his skin, it was a nice buzz that reverberated from the top of his head to the tips of his toes.

All those feelings that filled his body when Yuno so much as looked in his direction. The silent understanding and the desire to spend every waking moment in his arms. It was all explained so simply.

_Yuno was his soulmate._

Yuno bent down, hand still resting on Asta’s mark. He stared into the eyes of his other half, shedding one final tear at the far off, loving stare that was _finally_ directed at him.

The kiss they shared after that was filled with more magic than the entire four kingdoms combined.

_________________________________

The pair stayed inside the water until their skin wrinkled like prunes. They sat on the rocks, bathing in the sunlight to dry off before getting dressed. Asta picked flowers from the field, weaving them together to form two flower crowns. His was made out of daisies and Yuno’s was made out of violets. He had also included a few three-leaf clovers that grew by the edge of the water. He crowned Yuno and Yuno crowned him. It was as if they were both crowning each other Wizard King. They were wrapped around one another the entire time. The soulmates embraced to their hearts’ content, only separating briefly to put their clothes back on once they were no longer wet.

They ate their lunch leaning against each other, feeding each other the various foods that were no doubt made by the wonderful Miss Charmy. He especially liked the strawberry cake Yuno fed into his mouth.

Asta’s mind was still fuzzy from the high of finding out the love of his life was really his soulmate, and with his belly full of yummy food after swimming, it was easy for him to relax a little too much against Yuno. As soon as Asta closed his eyes, he was out like a light.

Yuno looked down lovingly at the boy asleep in his arms. He was equally as tired from the anxiety-inducing confession. He tilted his head onto newly dry platinum blonde hair. It was a good pillow, and Yuno didn’t try to fight the sleep that overtook his body.

A few hours later, with both of them fully rested, Yuno decided it was the perfect time for what he had been waiting for.

“Asta, I have something to give you,” he said.

“What is it?”

“A magic item,” Yuno responded. He pulled out a small, white, velvet box from the secret pocket in his Golden Dawn cape. He gave a mental thanks to Vanessa once again. She really thought of everything.”It should allow us to be apart without your body attacking itself.”

He turned to fully face Asta as he opened the box to reveal a shiny, black ring. It was a simple band, with no jewels or decorations. Asta liked that it was simple. He had trouble imagining his hand with a flashy stone wrapped around his finger.

Yuno plucked the ring from the box and encased the metal band completely in his hand, making a fist. His hand glowed briefly in the green hue characteristic of his wind magic. When his hand unfolded around the ring, it revealed a band that was no longer the color of obsidian, but the golden color of a typical wedding band.

It reminded Asta of Yuno’s eyes.

“This isn’t a proposal or anything. We’re fifteen after all, but I felt like a ring was the best option. It’s infused with my magic now, so you just need to wear it all the time. The metal is enchanted. It shouldn’t rust or break under any circumstance, so you shouldn’t have to ever take it off.”

Yuno handed the ring to Asta with great care.

“It’s engraved on the inside. You should read it,” Yuno said. Asta held the ring close to his face to read the small letters etched into the ring.

“Brought together by fate, not luck.” Yuno smiled when he read the words aloud.

“The other night you asked me how you were lucky enough to be with me. I don’t think it’s luck. We were always meant to be together, and that’s what I want this ring to represent. A new promise to always be there for each other.”

Asta slipped the band on his ring finger. It fit perfectly.

“I promise.”

_________________________________

When Asta and Yuno finally left their personal paradise, Yuno deliberately flew slowly to draw out their time alone. Asta being pressed so close to his backside was his new guilty pleasure. As they came back down to earth, the sun starting to set in the horizon, several shouts were heard from the inside of the base before the door was kicked open.

“When’s the wedding?” Captain Yami asked. Asta’s jaw hit the floor at the happy expression on his captain's normally gruff face.

“Don’t forget that I’m going to be the best man. Royalty deserves to be the best.”

“Noelle! I challenge you to a fight for the title of best man! No way some rookie is gonna steal that from me! I’m the shrimp’s mentor!”

“A fight? Can I join?”

“We’ll definitely have lots of drinks at the bachelor party!”

“And lots of tasty nom noms! La~!”

Asta looked around at the amazing people he has in his life. His squad, so open and welcoming, rambling on about his future wedding made his heart happy. He glances toward Yuno, his best friend, his boyfriend, his _soulmate_.

He wouldn’t trade this for the world. If he was given the chance to be reborn in a world where he was born with all the things he didn’t have, but never got the chance to meet Yuno, he would decline in a heartbeat.

He had all the magic he needed right in front of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's over. I can't believe it's really over.
> 
> I would just like to thank every person that has taken the time to support this work. I'll continue to contribute to this fandom, and it's all because of your kind words and wonderful reactions.
> 
> My full message to you all is on my IG page, natsa.fics, if you want to check it out. I'll be doing Q&As as well as other fun stuff there. Please follow it. I'm going to miss you guys so much in between the time it takes me to get my next fic up.
> 
> I love you all.


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